Outer Chain Moieties Research Articles

Identification of β-1,4-galactosyltransferase I as a target gene of HBx-induced cell cycle progression of hepatoma cell

The hepatitis B virus-encoded HBx protein contributes to hepatocarcinogenesis with largely unknown mechanisms. It is widely known that N-linked oligosaccharides on glycoproteins are structurally altered during malignant transformation and these alterations are often associated with malignant transformation of cells. beta-1,4-galactosyltransferase I (GalT I) contributes to the biosynthesis of Galbeta-->4GlcNAc structure in the outer chain moieties of N-glycans. The difference of GalT I expression between normal liver and hepatoma tissues were investigated; the effect of HBx on GalT I expression was investigated; the role of GalT I in hepatoma cell growth and HBx-induced hepatoma cell growth were investigated. GalT I was highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and transcriptionally up-regulated by HBx, and functioned as a positive growth regulator in hepatoma cells. Furthermore, decreasing the expression of GalT I in hepatoma cells reduced the ability of tumor formation in vivo and inhibited HBx-induced cell cycle progression. HBx-induced GalT I expression might contribute to HBx-mediated HCC development and progression.

Altered glycosylation of proteins produced by malignant cells, and application for the diagnosis and immunotherapy of tumours

Most secretory and membrane-bound proteins produced by mammalian cells contain covalently linked sugar chains. Alterations of the sugar chain structures of glycoproteins have been found to occur in various tumours. Because the sugar chains of glycoproteins are essential for the maintenance of the ordered social behaviour of differentiated cells in multicellular organisms, alterations to the sugar chains are the molecular basis of abnormal social behaviours in tumour cells, such as invasion into the surrounding tissues and metastasis. In this review, the structure and enzymatic basis of typical alterations of the N-linked sugar chains, which are found in various tumours, are introduced. These data are useful for devising diagnostic methods and immunotherapies for the clinical treatment of tumours. Three beta-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases, GnT-III, -IV and -V, play roles in the structural alteration of the complex-type sugar chains in various tumours. In addition, transcriptional changes in various glycosyltransferases, together with the transporters of sugar nucleotides and sulfate, which are responsible for the formation of the outer chain moieties of complex-type sugar chains, are the keys to inducing the alterations.

Knockout of mouse β1,4-galactosyltransferase-1 gene results in a dramatic shift of outer chain moieties of N-glycans from type 2 to type 1 chains in hepatic membrane and plasma glycoproteins

To understand the contribution of β1,4-galactosyltransferase (β4Gal-T)-1 to galactosylation in vivo, N-glycans of hepatic membrane glycoproteins and plasma glycoproteins from β4Gal-T1 wild-type (β4Gal-T1+/+) and β4Gal-T1 knockout mice were compared. Unexpectedly, glycoproteins from the knockout mice were found to express considerable amounts of sialylated, galactosylated N-glycans. A striking contrast was that galactose residues were largely β1,4-linked to GlcNAc residues in the β4Gal-T1+/+ mouse glycans but β1,3-linked in the knockout mouse glycans, thus resulting in the shift of the backbone structure from type 2 chain (Galβ1 → 4GlcNAc) to type 1 chain (Galβ1 → 3GlcNAc). Detailed analysis of plasma glycoproteins revealed that the expression of sialyl linkage in N-glycans was shifted from the Siaα2 → 6Gal to the Siaα2 → 3Gal, and oversialylated type 1 chains were, remarkably, found in the knockout mouse glycans. Thus β4Gal-T1 deficiency was primarily compensated for by β1,3-galactosyltransferases, which resulted in different sialyl linkages being formed on the outer chains and altered backbone structures, depending on the acceptor specificities of sialyltransferases. These results suggest that β4Gal-T1 in mouse liver plays a central role in the synthesis of type 2 chain and is also involved in the regulation of sialylation of N-glycans. The knockout mice may prove useful in investigation of the mechanism which regulates the tissue-dependent terminal glycosylation.

Knockout of mouse beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase-1 gene results in a dramatic shift of outer chain moieties of N-glycans from type 2 to type 1 chains in hepatic membrane and plasma glycoproteins.

To understand the contribution of beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta 4Gal-T)-1 to galactosylation in vivo, N-glycans of hepatic membrane glycoproteins and plasma glycoproteins from beta 4Gal-T1 wild-type (beta 4Gal-T1(+/+)) and beta 4Gal-T1 knockout mice were compared. Unexpectedly, glycoproteins from the knockout mice were found to express considerable amounts of sialylated, galactosylated N-glycans. A striking contrast was that galactose residues were largely beta 1,4-linked to GlcNAc residues in the beta 4Gal-T1(+/+) mouse glycans but beta 1,3-linked in the knockout mouse glycans, thus resulting in the shift of the backbone structure from type 2 chain (Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc) to type 1 chain (Gal beta 1-->3GlcNAc). Detailed analysis of plasma glycoproteins revealed that the expression of sialyl linkage in N-glycans was shifted from the Sia alpha 2-->6Gal to the Sia alpha 2-->3Gal, and oversialylated type 1 chains were, remarkably, found in the knockout mouse glycans. Thus beta 4Gal-T1 deficiency was primarily compensated for by beta1,3-galactosyltransferases, which resulted in different sialyl linkages being formed on the outer chains and altered backbone structures, depending on the acceptor specificities of sialyltransferases. These results suggest that beta 4Gal-T1 in mouse liver plays a central role in the synthesis of type 2 chain and is also involved in the regulation of sialylation of N-glycans. The knockout mice may prove useful in investigation of the mechanism which regulates the tissue-dependent terminal glycosylation.

Structural characteristics of the N-glycans of two isoforms of prostate-specific antigens purified from human seminal fluid

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a glycosylated chymotrypsin-like serine protease and is found mainly in prostatic tissue and seminal fluid. We purified two forms of PSA (PSA-A and PSA-B) from human seminal fluid with p I values of approx. 7.2 and approx. 6.9, respectively. To characterize the N-glycans of the two isoforms, the sugar chains were liberated by hydrazinolysis followed by N-acetylation, and derivatized with 2-aminobenzamide. Both PSA-A and PSA-B contained mono- and disialylated sugar chains, although PSA-B had a much higher content of the latter. After removal of sialic acid residues by sialidase digestion, mono- and biantennary N-glycans and three outer chain moieties (Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-, GlcNAcβ1-, GalNAcβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-) were found in both samples. However, the ratios of each N-glycan were different. These results indicate that PSA-A and PSA-B differ not only in their sialic acid contents, but also in their outer chain features.

Occurrence of reducing terminal N-acetylglucosamine 3-sulfate and fucosylated outer chains in acidic N-glycans of porcine zona pellucida glycoproteins.

Structures of acidic N-glycans released from porcine zona pellucida glycoproteins by hydrazinolysis were studied. The results indicated that the acidic glycans are of mono- to tetraantennary complex-type with and without N-acetyllactosamine repeating units. Sulfated residues are not only located at the C-6 position of GlcNAc included in the N-acetyllactosamine repeating units, but also at the C-6 position of GlcNAc in the non-repeated antennae and at the C-3 position of reducing terminal GlcNAc residue. Analysis of the oligosaccharide fragments released by endo-beta-galactosidase digestion and by hydrazine/nitrous acid treatment also revealed that various sulfated and non-sulfated forms of fucosylated structures such as Fucalpha1 --> 2Galbeta1 --> 4(+/-SO3- --> 6)GlcNAc (type 2H), Galbeta1 --> 4(Fucalpha1 --> 3)(+/-SO3- --> 6)GlcNAc(Lex) and Fucalpha1 --> 3 or 4(+/-SO3- --> 6)GlcNAc, are expressed in the repeated outer chain moieties.

Comparative Study of the Sugar Chains of Alkaline Phosphatases Purified from Rat Liver and Rat AH–130 Hepatoma Cells

The N-linked sugar chains of alkaline phosphatases, purified from rat AH-130 hepatoma and from normal rat liver, were released quantitatively as oligosaccharides by hydrazinolysis and were labeled by reduction with NaB3H4. A comparative study of their structures revealed that following structural differences are induced by hepatocyte carcinogenesis: complex-type tetraantennary sugar chains and hybrid-type sugar chains appear; outer-chain moieties of the sugar chains of the hepatoma enzyme contain exclusively the Gal(Beta 1-4)GlcNAc groups (type 2 chains) but those of the normal enzyme contain other Gal(Beta 1-)GlcNAc groups and type 2 chains; and novel fucosylated high-mannose-type sugar chains are found in the oligosaccharides of the hepatoma enzyme.

Bovine pituitary membrane glycoproteins contain beta-N-acetylgalactosaminylated N-linked sugar chains.

Bovine pituitary glycoprotein hormones contain unique N-linked sugar chains with GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc 4GlcNAc structure in their outer chain moieties. In the present study, whether bovine pituitary membrane glycoproteins contain the sugar chains with the disaccharide structure was investigated. Western blot analysis of the membrane glycoproteins using Wistaria floribunda agglutinin (WFA), which binds oligosaccharides terminating with beta-N-acetylgalactosamine residue(s), showed that most protein bands detected with Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining bind to WFA. However, no WFA binding was observed for the bands after treatment of the blotted filter with jack bean beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase or N-Glycanase. The WFA-positive bands were also detected in membrane glycoprotein samples from bovine cerebrum, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata, although their expression levels were low. Structural analysis of the oligosaccharides released by hydrazinolysis from the pituitary membrane glycoproteins by serial lectin column chromatography and sequential exoglycosidase digestion revealed that the major oligosaccharides, which bound to a WFA-agarose column, are of biantennary complex type with one and two GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc groups in their outer chain moieties. These results indicate that the beta-N-acetylgalactosaminylation is not unique to the glycoprotein hormones but occurs to most bovine pituitary glycoproteins.

The sugar chain structures of carcinoembryonic antigens and related normal antigens

Abstract

Most bovine milk fat globule membrane glycoproteins contain asparagine-linked sugar chains with GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc groups.

N-Acetylgalactosamine is usually not a constitutive monosaccharide of Asn-linked sugar chains. Our previous study showed that the Asn-linked sugar chains of bovine CD36 prepared from milk fat globule membranes (MFGM) contain this unique monosaccharide as the GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc group [Nakata et al. (1993) Biochemistry 32, 4369-4383]. Western blot analysis of bovine MFGM glycoproteins with Wistaria floribunda agglutinin (WFA), which binds oligosaccharides terminating with either an alpha- or beta-N-acetylgalactosamine residue, showed that WFA binding is observed for most of the protein bands as detected with Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining. However, no WFA binding was observed for protein bands after treatment of MFGM glycoproteins with N-glycanase. Structural analyses of the sugar chains released by hydrazinolysis from the MFGM glycoproteins by sequential exoglycosidase digestion and by methylation analysis revealed that oligosaccharides, which bound to a WFA-agarose column, are bi-, tri-, and tetraantennary complex-type and hybrid-type sugar chains with the GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc group in their outer chain moieties, while oligosaccharides, which passed through the column, were of high-mannose-type, hybrid-type, and complex-type, of which the latter two groups contained the Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc groups. These results indicated that many bovine MFGM glycoproteins contain Asn-linked sugar chains with the GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc group.

Human salivary endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase HS specific for complex type sugar chains of glycoproteins

The enzyme that catalyzed the conversion of human salivary alpha-amylase family A (HSA-A) to family B (HSA-B) was identified. It was partially purified from the precipitate obtained by centrifugation of human saliva at 105,000 x g for 60 min by solubilization with 3[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propane sulfonate and column chromatographies with Sephacryl S-300-HR and hydroxylapatite. The enzyme preparation was practically free from contaminating exoglycosidases and proteases. The enzyme cleaved the N,N'-diacetylchitobiose moiety of the sugar chain of HSA-A, as shown by the isolation of the protein moiety which contained 1 GlcNAc and 1 Fuc residue and the sugar chain (Gal)2(Fuc)1(GlcNAc)2(Man)3(GlcNAc). This enzyme also cleaved the N,N'-diacetylchitobiose moiety of the sugar chain of human transferrin tetraglycopeptide Asn-Tyr-Asn(GlcNAc)2(Man)3(GlcNAc)2(Gal)2-Lys to yield equimolar amounts of peptide Asn-Tyr-Asn(GlcNAc)Lys and sugar chain (Gal)2(GlcNAc)2(Man)3(GlcNAc). The enzyme was identified as an endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase. The enzyme acted on HSA-A with desialylated and defucosylated outer chain moieties of the sugar chains at a similar rate as that of native HSA-A. The enzyme activity was reduced to 13 and 5% using HSA-A with the sugar chains whose outer chain moieties lacked Gal and GlcNAc, respectively, from the nonreducing end. The enzyme also acted on human transferrin, calf fetuin, and asparagine oligosaccharides of transferrin and fetuin. On the other hand, the enzyme did not act on ovalbumin, RNase B, Taka-amylase, yeast invertase, and ovalbumin asparagine oligosaccharides. These results indicate that human salivary endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase is specific for complex type sugar chains and can release the sugar chains from native glycoproteins and glycopeptides regardless of the existence of a Fuc residue on the proximal GlcNAc of the N,N'-diacetylchitobiose core of their sugar chains. The source of the enzyme was epithelial cells peeling from the oral cavity epithelium into saliva. The enzyme was thought to be integrated on the surface of the epithelial cell membrane. This enzyme was named endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase HS. Thus, these studies indicate that the properties of the enzyme are distinct from those of known endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase HS is a novel endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase.

Structural study of the sugar chains of CD36 purified from bovine mammary epithelial cells: occurrence of novel hybrid-type sugar chains containing the Neu5Ac alpha 2-->6GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc and the Man alpha 1-->2Man alpha 1-->3Man alpha 1-->6Man groups.

CD36 is a glycoprotein included in the bovine milk fat globule membrane derived from mammary secretory epithelial cells during lactation. Asparagine-linked sugar chains were quantitatively released from CD36 as oligosaccharides by hydrazinolysis. These sugar chains were converted to radioactive oligosaccharides by reduction with NaB3H4 and separated into neutral and acidic fractions by paper electrophoresis. Most of the acidic oligosaccharides were converted to neutral ones by sialidase digestion, indicating that they are sialyl derivatives. The neutral and sialidase-treated acidic oligosaccharides were fractionated by Bio-Gel P-4 column chromatography in combination with serial chromatography on immobilized lectin columns including a Wistaria floribunda agglutinin (WFA)-agarose column. WFA is known to bind oligosaccharides terminating with either an alpha- or beta-N-acetylgalactosamine residue. Structural studies of oligosaccharides in each fraction by sequential exoglycosidase digestion as well as methylation analysis revealed that CD36 contains high mannose-type, hybrid-type, and bi, tri-, and tetraantennary complex-type sugar chains. A portion of the hybrid-type and the complex-type sugar chains which bound to a WFA-agarose column (28% of all oligosaccharides) contained the GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc group(s) instead of the Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc group(s) in their outer chain moieties. Like oligosaccharides found in human luteinizing hormone [Weisshaar, G., Hiyama, J., Renwick, A. G., & Nimtz, M. (1991) Eur. J. Biochem. 195, 257-268], some of the GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc groups found in the CD36 oligosaccharides were sialylated as the Neu5Ac alpha 2-->6GalNAc group. Furthermore, most of the hybrid-type sugar chains of CD36 with the Gal/GalNAc beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->2 outer chain on their Man alpha 1-->3 arm contained an unusual Man alpha 1-->2Man alpha 1-->3 group on their Man alpha 1-->6 arm.

Altered glycosylation of beta 1 integrins associated with reduced adhesiveness to fibronectin and laminin.

The carbohydrate structures of the beta 1 integrins obtained from a mouse metastatic melanoma B16 F1 and its weakly metastatic wheat-germ agglutinin-resistant mutant Wa4-b1 were studied comparatively. The results indicated that the integrins from both cells contain high mannose-type and bi-, tri- and tetra-antennary complex-type sugar chains. No significant difference was found in the outer chain branching between both integrins, but sialylation of the sugar chains of the mutant's integrin was markedly decreased and almost all the outer chain moieties of tri- and tetra-antennary oligosaccharides of the mutant's integrin were fucosylated, resulting in the formation of X-antigenic determinants, Gal beta 1-->4 (Fuc alpha 1-->3) GlcNAc. In contrast, the integrin from parental cell contained no X-antigenic determinant. These structural differences found in the integrin are thought to account for the reduction in the metastatic potential of the mutant which also shows reduced adhesion to fibronectin and laminin as compared with the parental cell.

N-linked neutral sugar chains of aminopeptidase N purified from rat small intestinal brush-border membrane

Neutral oligosaccharides, which accounted for 74% of the total N-linked sugar chains released by hydrazinolysis of rat small intestinal aminopeptidase N, were investigated on a structural basis. They are mainly composed of complex-type sugar chains with tri- and tetraantennary structures, and small amounts of high mannose type sugar chains (7% of the total neutral sugar chains) are also included. The unique feature of the complex-type sugar chains is the most of them contain terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues and blood group H antigenic determinants in their outer chain moieties, and bisecting N-acetylglucosamine residues in their trimannosyl cores. Both the type 1H and type 2H determinants are found, but the former is mainly expressed at the distal portions of the outer chain moieties of the oligosaccharides.

Neutral oligosaccharide structures linked to asparagines of porcine zona pellucida glycoproteins

N-Linked sugar chains were liberated by hydrazinolysis from porcine zona pellucida glycoproteins obtained from ovarian follicular oocytes. Neutral sugar chains were separated from acidic ones by paper electrophoresis and fractionated with a serial lectin column chromatography and Bio-Gel P-4 column chromatography. Their structural analysis by sequential glycosidase digestion in combination with methylation analysis revealed that the neutral sugar chains are of bi-, tri-, and tetraantennary complex type with a fucosylated trimannosyl core. Twenty-six percent of the sugar chains contain N-acetyllactosamine repeating structures in their outer chain moieties. Only linear N-acetyllactosamine repeats, the maximum size of which is hexasaccharide, are detected. A characteristic feature is that 39% of the sugar chains contain N-acetylglucosamine residues at their nonreducing termini in spite of the absence of bisected sugar chains. This study provided, for the first time, the substantial information about the sugar chain structures of mammalian zona pellucida glycoproteins.

N-linked sugar chains of mouse B16 melanoma cells and their low-metastasizing variant selected by wheat germ agglutinin

The N-linked sugar chains of metastasizing mouse B16 melanoma cells (F1) and their wheat germ agglutinin-resistant variant (Wa4-b1) showing a dramatic decrease in metastasizing and tumorigenic potentials were liberated from their membrane glycoproteins by hydrazinolysis, and their structures were comparatively analysed. The results indicated that both cell lines contain high-mannose-type and bi-, tri- and tetraantennary complex-type oligosaccharides, and their ratios are similar. However, outer chain moieties of tri- and tetraantennary oligosaccharides of the variant are extensively fucosylated, resulting in the formation of X-antigenic determinants, Gal beta 1----4(Fuc alpha 1----3)GlcNAc. Oligosaccharides containing X-antigenic determinants amounted to 71% of the total complex-type oligosaccharides. Fucosylation occurs on every N-acetyllactosamine unit and the number of the determinants ranges from one to three in triantennary oligosaccharides and one to four in tetraantennary oligosaccharides. The determinants occur predominantly in non-sialylated forms, although some are in sialylated forms. Oligosaccharides containing non-sialylated X-antigenic determinants and those containing sialylated X-antigenic determinants are approximately in the ratio 6:1. Since no significant difference was found in the extent of branching of complex-type oligosaccharides of the two cell lines, it is suggested that non-fucosylated outer chains are important for the expression of metastasizing potential by the tumour cells.

Role of sugar chains in the in vitro biological activity of human erythropoietin produced in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells.

Human erythropoietin contains three Asn-type and one mucin-type sugar chains. That the branching structure of the outer portion of Asn-type sugar chains is correlated to its biological activity in vivo has been reported recently (Takeuchi, M., Inoue, N., Strickland, T. W., Kubota, M., Wada, M., Shimizu, R., Hoshi, S., Kozutsumi, H., Takasaki, S., and Kobata, A. (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 86, 7819-7822). In this study, the effect of trimming of sugar chains on the biological activity in vitro of this hormone was examined by using several glycosidases. Human erythropoietin produced by recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells showed three times higher activity after desialylation. The activity was not changed significantly by further removal of the mucin-type sugar chain from the hormone, indicating no contribution of this type of sugar chain to the activity of erythropoietin in vitro. Sequential removal of galactose and N-acetylglucosamine from the outer chain moieties of the desialylated Asn-type sugar chains raised the activity of the hormone up to four and five times the intact erythropoietin, respectively. The activation effect was diminished slightly by further removing alpha-mannosyl residues and to a great extent by removing beta-mannosyl residues from the core portions of the Asn-type sugar chains. N-Glycanase digestion of intact erythropoietin resulted in almost complete loss of the activity in vitro. These results indicate that the core portion of the Asn-type sugar chains is necessary for erythropoietin to express its full biological activity in vitro and suggest that removal of the core portion of the sugar chains destroys the active conformation of erythropoietin.

Diversity of oligosaccharide structures linked to asparagines of the scrapie prion protein.

Prion proteins from humans and rodents contain two consensus sites for asparagine-linked glycosylation near their C-termini. The asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of the scrapie isoform of the hamster prion protein (PrP 27-30) were released quantitatively from the purified molecule by hydrazinolysis followed by N-acetylation and NaB3H4 reduction. The radioactive oligosaccharides were fractionated into one neutral and three acidic oligosaccharide fractions by anion-exchange column chromatography. All oligosaccharides in the acidic fractions could be converted to neutral oligosaccharides by sialidase digestion. Structural studies on these oligosaccharides including sequential exoglycosidase digestion in combination with methylation analysis revealed that PrP 27-30 contains a mixture of bi-, tri-, and tetraantennary complex-type sugar chains with Man alpha 1----6(GlcNAc beta 1----4)(Man alpha 1----3)Man beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----4-(Fuc alpha 1----6)GlcNAc as their core. Variation is produced by the different combination of the oligosaccharides Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----, Gal beta 1----4(Fuc alpha 1----3)GlcNAc beta 1----, GlcNAc beta 1----, Sia alpha 2----3Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----, and Sia alpha 2----6Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1---- in their outer chain moieties. When both asparagine-linked consensus sites are glycosylated, the diversity of oligosaccharide structures yields over 400 different forms of the scrapie prion protein. Whether these diverse asparagine-linked oligosaccharides participate in scrapie prion infectivity or modify the function of the cellular prion protein remains to be established.

Detection of bisected biantennary form in the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of fibronectin isolated from human term amniotic fluid.

Fibronectin purified from human term amniotic fluid contains 10 asparagine-linked sugar chains in one molecule. The sugar chains were quantitatively liberated as radioactive oligosaccharides from the polypeptide moiety by hydrazinolysis followed by N-acetylation and NaB3H4 reduction and fractionated by anion-exchange column chromatography and serial lectin affinity chromatography. The structures of these sugar chains were determined by sequential exoglycosidase digestion in combination with methylation analysis. The results indicated that they are a mixture of bisected and non-bisected bi- and triantennary complex-type sugar chains with and without a fucose on the proximal N-acetylglucosamine residue and with Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----, GlcNAc beta 1----, Neu5Ac alpha 2----3Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----, and Neu5Ac alpha 2----6Gal beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1---- groups in their outer chain moieties.

Structural studies of the asparagine-linked sugar chains of two immunoglobulin M's purified from a patient with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia

The structures of the sugar chains present in two human monoclonal IgM molecules purified from the serum of a patient with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia have been determined. The asparagine-linked sugar chains were liberated as oligosaccharides by hydrazinolysis and labeled by reduction with NaB 3H 4 after N-acetylation. Their structures were studied by serial lectin column chromatography and sequential exoglycosidase digestion in combination with methylation analysis. These two IgM's were shown to contain almost the same sugar chains. The sugar chains were a mixture of a series of high-mannose-type and biantennary complex-type oligosaccharides. The complex-type oligosaccharides contain Manα1 → 6(±GlcNAcβ1 → 4)(Manα1 → 3)Manβ1 → 4GlcNAcβ1 → 4(Fucα1 → 6)GlcNAc as their core and GlcNAcβ1 →, Galβ1 → 4GlcNAcβ1 → and Neu5Acα2 → 6Galβ1 → 4GlcNAcβ1 → groups in their outer chain moieties.