Uronic Acid-containing Polysaccharides Research Articles

A chemo-enzymatic method for preparation of saturated oligosaccharides from alginate and other uronic acid-containing polysaccharides

Oligosaccharides from uronic acid-containing polysaccharides can be produced either by chemical or enzymatic degradation. The benefit of using enzymes, called lyases, is their high specificity for various glycosidic linkages. Lyases cleave the polysaccharide chain by an β-elimination reaction, yielding oligosaccharides with an unsaturated sugar (4-deoxy-l-erythro-hex-4-enepyranosyluronate) at the non-reducing end. In this work we have systematically studied acid degradation of unsaturated uronic acid oligosaccharides. Based on these findings, a method for preparing saturated oligosaccharides by enzymatic degradation of uronic acid-containing polysaccharides was developed. This results in oligosaccharides with a pre-defined distribution and proportion of sugar residues compared to the products of chemical degradation, while maintaining the chemical structure of the non-reducing end. The described method was demonstrated for generating saturated oligosaccharides of alginate, heparin and polygalacturonic acid. In the case of alginate, the ratio of hydrolysis rate of Δ-G and Δ-M linkages to that of G-G and M-M linkages, respectively, was found to be approximately 65 and 43, at pH* 3.4, 90 °C. Finally, this method has been demonstrated to be superior in the production of α-l-guluronate oligosaccharides with a lower content of β-d-mannuronate residues compared to what can be achieved using chemical depolymerization alone.

Structural and Biochemical Basis of a Marine Bacterial Glycoside Hydrolase Family 2 β-Glycosidase with Broad Substrate Specificity.

Uronic acids are commonly found in marine polysaccharides and increase structural complexity and intrinsic recalcitrance to enzymatic attack. Glycoside hydrolase family 2 (GH2) includes proteins that target sugar conjugates with hexuronates and are involved in the catabolism and cycling of marine polysaccharides. Here, we report a novel GH2, AqGalA from a marine alga-associated Bacteroidetes organism with broad substrate specificity. Biochemical analyses revealed that AqGalA exhibits hydrolyzing activities against β-galacturonide, β-glucuronide, and β-galactopyranoside via retaining mechanisms. We solved the AqGalA crystal structure in complex with galacturonic acid (GalA) and determined (via mutagenesis) that charge characteristics at uronate-binding subsites controlled substrate selectivity for uronide hydrolysis. Additionally, conformational flexibility of the AqGalA active-site pocket was proposed as a key component for broad substrate enzyme selectivity. Our AqGalA structural and functional data augment the current understanding of substrate recognition of GH2 enzymes and provide key insights into the bacterial use of uronic acid-containing polysaccharides. IMPORTANCE The decomposition of algal glycans driven by marine bacterial communities represents one of the largest heterotrophic transformations of organic matter fueling marine food webs and global carbon cycling. However, our knowledge on carbohydrate cycling is limited due to structural complexity of marine polysaccharides and the complicated enzymatic machinery of marine microbes. To degrade algal glycan, marine bacteria such as members of the Bacteroidetes produce a complex repertoire of carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) matching the structural specificities of the different carbohydrates. In this study, we investigated an extracellular GH2 β-glycosidase, AqGalA from a marine Bacteroidetes organism, to identify the key components responsible for glycuronide recognition and hydrolysis. The broad substrate specificity of AqGalA against glycosides with diverse stereochemical substitutions indicates its potential in processing complex marine polysaccharides. Our findings promote a better understanding of microbially driven mechanisms of marine carbohydrate cycling.

Genes for degradation and utilization of uronic acid-containing polysaccharides of a marine bacterium Catenovulum sp. CCB-QB4.

BackgroundOligosaccharides from polysaccharides containing uronic acids are known to have many useful bioactivities. Thus, polysaccharide lyases (PLs) and glycoside hydrolases (GHs) involved in producing the oligosaccharides have attracted interest in both medical and industrial settings. The numerous polysaccharide lyases and glycoside hydrolases involved in producing the oligosaccharides were isolated from soil and marine microorganisms. Our previous report demonstrated that an agar-degrading bacterium, Catenovulum sp. CCB-QB4, isolated from a coastal area of Penang, Malaysia, possessed 183 glycoside hydrolases and 43 polysaccharide lyases in the genome. We expected that the strain might degrade and use uronic acid-containing polysaccharides as a carbon source, indicating that the strain has a potential for a source of novel genes for degrading the polysaccharides.MethodsTo confirm the expectation, the QB4 cells were cultured in artificial seawater media with uronic acid-containing polysaccharides, namely alginate, pectin (and saturated galacturonate), ulvan, and gellan gum, and the growth was observed. The genes involved in degradation and utilization of uronic acid-containing polysaccharides were explored in the QB4 genome using CAZy analysis and BlastP analysis.ResultsThe QB4 cells were capable of using these polysaccharides as a carbon source, and especially, the cells exhibited a robust growth in the presence of alginate. 28 PLs and 22 GHs related to the degradation of these polysaccharides were found in the QB4 genome based on the CAZy database. Eleven polysaccharide lyases and 16 glycoside hydrolases contained lipobox motif, indicating that these enzymes play an important role in degrading the polysaccharides. Fourteen of 28 polysaccharide lyases were classified into ulvan lyase, and the QB4 genome possessed the most abundant ulvan lyase genes in the CAZy database. Besides, genes involved in uronic acid metabolisms were also present in the genome. These results were consistent with the cell growth. In the pectin metabolic pathway, the strain had genes for three different pathways. However, the growth experiment using saturated galacturonate exhibited that the strain can only use the pathway related to unsaturated galacturonate.

Structural characterization and proliferation activity of chondroitin sulfate from the sturgeon, Acipenser schrenckii

The cartilages of marine fish, such as sharks and sturgeon, are important resources of the bioactive chondroitin sulfate (CS). To explore glycosaminoglycans from marine fish, polysaccharides from the cartilage of the sturgeon, Acipenser schrenckii, were extracted. Using enzyme-assisted extraction and anion-exchange chromatography, an uronic acid-containing polysaccharide, YG-1, was isolated. YG-1 is composed of GlcN, GlcUA, GalN, and Gal, in the ratio of 1.4: 3.4: 3.7: 1.0, and its molecular weight was determined to be 3.0 × 105 Da. YG-1 was confirmed to be chondroitin 4-sulfate (CS) composed of →4GlcAβ1→3GalNAc4Sβ1→ and minor →4GlcAβ1→3GalNAcβ1→, which was confirmed using IR spectroscopy, disaccharide composition analysis, and NMR. Bioactivity studies, including MTT assay and scratch-wound assays revealed that CS from Acipenser schrenckii had significant proliferation activity. The proliferation activity of the polysaccharide, YG-1, was related to Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2). GalNAc 4S of YG-1 could be the binding sites of FGF2 and FGFR.

Disentangling the role of extracellular polysaccharides in desiccation tolerance in lichen-forming microalgae. First evidence of sulfated polysaccharides and ancient sulfotransferase genes.

Trebouxia sp. TR9 and Coccomyxa simplex are desiccation-tolerant microalgae with flexible cell walls, which undergo species-specific remodelling during dehydration-rehydration (D/R) due to their distinct ultrastructure and biochemical composition. Here, we tested the hypothesis that extracellular polysaccharides excreted by each microalga could be quantitatively and/or qualitatively modified by D/R. Extracellular polysaccharides were analysed by size exclusion and anion exchange chromatography, specific stains after gel electrophoresis and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry of trimethylsilyl derivatives (to determine their monosaccharide composition). The structure of a TR9-sulfated polymer was deduced from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. In addition, sugar-sulfotransferase encoding genes were identified in both microalgae, and their expression was measured by RT-qPCR. D/R did not alter the polydispersed profile of extracellular polysaccharides in either microalga but did induce quantitative changes in several peaks. Furthermore, medium-low-sized uronic acid-containing polysaccharides were almost completely substituted by higher molecular mass carbohydrates after D/R. Sulfated polysaccharide(s) were detected, for the first time, in the extracellular polymeric substances of both microalgae, but only increased significantly in TR9 after cyclic D/R, which induced a sugar-sulfotransferase gene and accumulated sulfated ß-D-galactofuranan(s). Biochemical remodelling of extracellular polysaccharides in aeroterrestrial desiccation-tolerant microalgae is species-specific and seems to play a role in the response to changes in environmental water availability.

Biochemical Reconstruction of a Metabolic Pathway from a Marine Bacterium Reveals Its Mechanism of Pectin Depolymerization.

Pectin is a complex uronic acid-containing polysaccharide typically found in plant cell walls, though forms of pectin are also found in marine diatoms and seagrasses. Genetic loci that target pectin have recently been identified in two phyla of marine bacteria. These loci appear to encode a pectin saccharification pathway that is distinct from the canonical pathway typically associated with phytopathogenic terrestrial bacteria. However, very few components of the marine pectin metabolism pathway have been experimentally validated. Here, we biochemically reconstructed the pectin saccharification pathway from a marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. in vitro and show that it results in the production of galacturonate and the key metabolic intermediate 5-keto-4-deoxyuronate (DKI). We demonstrate the sequential de-esterification and depolymerization of pectin into oligosaccharides and the synergistic action of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) to fully degrade these oligosaccharides into monosaccharides. Furthermore, we show that this pathway relies on enzymes belonging to GH family 105 to carry out the equivalent chemistry afforded by an exolytic polysaccharide lyase (PL) and KdgF in the canonical pectin pathway. Finally, we synthesize our findings into a model of marine pectin degradation and compare it with the canonical pathway. Our results underline the shifting view of pectin as a solely terrestrial polysaccharide and highlight the importance of marine pectin as a carbon source for suitably adapted marine heterotrophs. This alternate pathway has the potential to be exploited in the growing field of biofuel production from plant waste.IMPORTANCE Marine polysaccharides, found in the cell walls of seaweeds and other marine macrophytes, represent a vast sink of photosynthetically fixed carbon. As such, their breakdown by marine microbes contributes significantly to global carbon cycling. Pectin is an abundant polysaccharide found in the cell walls of terrestrial plants, but it has recently been reported that some marine bacteria possess the genetic capacity to degrade it. In this study, we biochemically characterized seven key enzymes from a marine bacterium that, together, fully degrade the backbone of pectin into its constituent monosaccharides. Our findings highlight the importance of pectin as a marine carbon source available to bacteria that possess this pathway. The characterized enzymes also have the potential to be utilized in the production of biofuels from plant waste.

Distribution of uronic acid-containing polysaccharides in 5 species of shellfishes

Mollusks are a rich source of uronic acid-containing polysaccharides (UACPs) possessing biological and pharmacological activities. In the present study, UACP compositions of different tissues from 5 species of edible shellfishes, namely Neverita didyma, Natica janthostomoides, Saxidomus purpurata, Cyclina sinensis, and Chlamys farreri were systemically analyzed. Totally 10 UACPs were observed, including chondroitin sulfate, heparin, an identified mannoglucuronan, 3 unknown glycosaminoglycans (GAGs, U1, U3 and U6) with hexuronic acid-hexosamine repeating units, and 4 unknown non-GAGs (U2, U4, U5 and U7) with hexuronic acid-hexose repeating units. U4-7 showed tissue- and species-specificity while the other UACPs prevalently existed in these shellfish tissues. UACP compositions in tissues from the same shellfish species were similar for S. purpurata and C. sinensis but different for C. farreri, N. didyma and N. janthostomoides. And this investigation also indicates that the similarity of UACPs composition between different shellfishes is related to the genetic relationship.

Identification and quantification of uronic acid-containing polysaccharides in tissues of Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) by HPLC–MS/MS and HPLC–MSn

Uronic acid-containing polysaccharides (UACPs) including glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and some non-GAGs in different tissues of Russian sturgeon were analyzed by detecting characteristic oligosaccharides in their acid hydrolysates after 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) derivatization. Disaccharides without substituents were identified and quantified using HPLC–MS/MS with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, while other oligosaccharides including sulfated/acetylated disaccharides and tetrasaccharides were characterized by HPLC–MSn with a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. The results showed that the nostril, gill arch and notochord of Russian sturgeon contained high amounts of CS ranging from 1700 to 3660 mg per 100 g of dried tissues. A non-GAG UACP, named AGSP, with a backbone of →4)-GlcA(1 → 2)-Man(1→, was found in the gill arch, caudal fin and notochord of sturgeon with the contents from 37 to 227 mg per 100 g of dried tissue. Another two unknown non-GAGs, UP1 and UP2, existed in intestine and in body muscles and gill arch, respectively. And an unidentified GAG (UP3) was found in testes, ovaries, swim bladder, intestine and skin. This investigation was the first effort to determine the overall UACP species in sturgeon after extraction of the eggs and caviar production.

Quick characterization of uronic acid-containing polysaccharides in 5 shellfishes by oligosaccharide analysis upon acid hydrolysis

Uronic acid-containing polysaccharides (UACPs) including well-known glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and some non-GAGs exist widely in animal kingdom. Although numerous methods have been established to analyze GAGs, few methods are available for non-GAG UACPs. In the present study, a protocol to identify all kinds of UACPs with repeating disaccharide units of hexosamine and uronic acid was demonstrated, and UACP components in five shellfishes, namely Turritella fortilirata Sowerby (GTF), Batillaria zonalis (GBZ), Nassarius variciferus (GNV), Monodonta labio Linnaeus (GML), and Argopecten irradians Lamarck (BAI) were primarily revealed. After a simple isolation procedure, crude polysaccharides were depolymerized by controlled acid hydrolysis, and then the resulting oligosaccharides were detected by HPLC coupled with mass spectrometer after 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) labeling. According to chromatograms using the triple quadrupole mass spectrometer in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, chondroitin sulfate (CS) was found in GNV and GML, a non-GAG named abalone gonad sulfated polysaccharide (AGSP) with a backbone of →4)-β-GlcA-(1 → 2)-α-Man-(1→ repeating units in GBZ, and both of AGSP and CS in BAI and GTF. Further characterization of tetrasaccharides and sulfated/acetylated disaccharides by HPLC combined with an ion trap mass spectrometer confirmed the structural identification of CS and AGSP, and indicated CS in GTF and BAI was Type C. These results suggest the 5 mollusks as potential resources for CS and AGSP. And the analysis protocol presented in this study was powerful and effective for quick characterization of UACPs including GAGs as well as non-GAGs in complicated matrix.

Comparison of polysaccharides of Haliotis discus hannai and Volutharpa ampullacea perryi by PMP-HPLC-MSn analysis upon acid hydrolysis

Haliotis discus hannai Ino (Haliotis) is a highly valued marine shellfish, and it is sometimes replaced by another cheaper Gastropoda mollusk, Volutharpa ampullacea perryi (Volutharpa). Polysaccharides from pleopods, viscera and gonads of these two gastropods were compared by analyzing the mono- and di-saccharides in their acid hydrolysates using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MSn) after 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) derivatization. Disaccharide analysis revealed the distribution of uronic acid-containing polysaccharides (UACPs) in the biological samples. GlcA-(1→2)-Man, GlcA-(1→3)-GalN, and another disaccharide consisting of a hexuronic acid linked to a hexose were found in the hydrolysates, which indicated the existence of AGSP (abalone gonad sulfated polysaccharide) with the backbone composed of →2)-α-Man(1→4)-β-GlcA(1→ repeating unit, AAP (abalone glycosaminoglycan-like polysaccharide) with the backbone of →3)-GalNAc-(1→2)-GlcA-(1→3)-GalNAc-(1→4)-GlcA-(1→ repeating unit, and unidentified DS1P containing a hexuronic acid linked to a hexose unit, respectively. As shown by extracted ion chromatograms (XICs), AAP was the only UACP found in pleopods of the two gastropods; gonads and viscera of Haliotis contained DS1P and AGSP, while those of Volutharpa contained DS1P, AGSP as well as AAP. Monosaccharides in the acid hydrolysates were demonstrated in XICs by extracting their corresponding PMP derivative quasi-molecular ions one by one, and the results indicated the similar conclusion to the disaccharide analysis. Therefore, it could be concluded that polysaccharides from pleopods of the two gastropods are very similar, while those from their viscera and gonads differ greatly.

Characterization of acidic polysaccharides from the mollusks through acid hydrolysis

Uronic acid-containing polysaccharides (UACPs) including glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) exist widely in nature. Herein we propose an elegant methodology to identify UACPs by analyzing their disaccharides produced from the acid hydrolysis using HPLC–MSn upon 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) derivatization. Based on the optimization of experimental conditions by the single factor experiment and orthogonal test design, the combination of 1.3M TFA at 105°C for 3h is found to be the optimum. Subsequently, these conditions were applied to investigate the distribution of UACPs in 20 selected species of edible Bivalvia and Gastropoda. PMP-disaccharides derived from UACPs in mollusks were identified by comparing the retention time and mass spectra with those of the reference PMP-disaccharides from hyaluronic acid (HA), chondroitin sulfate (CS), heparin (HP), and AGSP with →4)-GlcA(1→2)-Man(1→ repeating units. The analysis reveals the prevalence of CS in the shellfishes as well as the HP, and existence of three non-GAG UACPs in 7 mollusks.

Structural investigation of a uronic acid-containing polysaccharide from abalone by graded acid hydrolysis followed by PMP-HPLC–MSn and NMR analysis

A new strategy was applied to elucidate the structure of a polysaccharide from abalone gonad (AGSP). It was hydrolyzed by 0.05M, 0.2M, 0.5M, and 2.0M TFA at 100°C for 1h, sequentially. Every hydrolysate was ultrafiltrated (3000Da) to collect oligo- and monosaccharides, and the final retentate was further hydrolyzed with 2.0M TFA at 110°C and 121°C for 2h, respectively. 1-Phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) derivatization followed by HPLC–MSn analysis was applied to detect the sugar residues in these hydrolysates, which allowed proposing their location in the polysaccharide structure. The retentate after 0.5M TFA hydrolysis was confirmed as the polysaccharide backbone, and it was further analyzed by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. Thus, the structural elucidation of AGSP was accomplished, and it has a backbone of →4)-β-GlcA(1→2)-α-Man(1→ repeating unit with Fuc, Xyl and Gal in the branch. The analytical strategy demonstrated was useful to characterize the structure of polysaccharides.

Comparison of Cell Wall Polysaccharide Hydrolysis by a Dilute Acid/Enzymatic Saccharification Process and Rumen Microorganisms

Evaluation of biomass crops for breeding or pricing purposes requires an assay that predicts performance in the bioenergy conversion process. Cell wall polysaccharide hydrolysis was compared for a dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment at 121°C followed with cellulase hydrolysis for 72 h conversion assay (CONV) with in vitro rumen microflora incubation for 72 h (RUMEN) for a set of maize (Zea mays L.) stover samples with a wide range in cell wall composition. Residual polysaccharides from the assays were analyzed for sugar components and extent of hydrolysis calculated. Cell wall polysaccharide hydrolysis was different for all sugar components between the CONV and RUMEN assays. The CONV assay hydrolyzed xylose-, arabinose-, galactose-, and uronic acid-containing polysaccharides to a greater degree than did the RUMEN assay, whereas the RUMEN assay was more effective at hydrolyzing glucose- and mannose-containing polysaccharides. Greater hydrolysis of hemicelluloses and pectins by CONV can be attributed to the acid hydrolysis mechanism of the CONV assay for noncellulosic polysaccharides, whereas the RUMEN assay was dependent on enzymatic hydrolysis. While CONV and RUMEN hydrolysis were correlated for most polysaccharide components, the greatest correlation was only r = 0.70 for glucose-containing polysaccharides. Linear correlations and multiple regressions indicated that polysaccharide hydrolysis by the RUMEN assay was negatively associated with lignin concentration and ferulate ether cross linking as expected. Corresponding correlations and regressions for CONV were less consistent and occasionally positive. Use of rumen microbial hydrolysis to characterize biomass performance in a conversion process may have some limited usefulness for genetic evaluations, but such assays would be unreliable for biomass pricing.

Structural and mechanistic classification of uronic acid-containing polysaccharide lyases

Polysaccharide lyases (PLs) have been assigned to 21 families based on their sequences, with ~ 50 singletons awaiting further classification. For 19 of these families, the structure of at least one protein is known. In this review, we have analyzed the available structural information and show that presently known PL families belong to six general folds. Only two general catalytic mechanisms have been observed among these PLs: (1) metal-assisted neutralization of the acidic group of the sugar next to the cleaved bond, with, rather unusually, arginine or lysine playing the role of Brønsted base and (2) neutralization of the acidic group on the sugar by a close approach of an amino or acidic group forcing its protonation and Tyr or Tyr-His acting as the Brønsted base and acid.

Carbohydrate analysis of plant materials with uronic acid-containing polysaccharides–A comparison between different hydrolysis and subsequent chromatographic analytical techniques

Acid hydrolysis, acid methanolysis, and enzymatic hydrolysis were compared for depolymerization of five different plant materials containing uronic acids. The analyzed plant materials were oat spelt, wheat straw, spruce thermomechanical pulp, aspen stemwood, and totally chlorine-free (TCF) bleached hardwood kraft pulp. Furthermore, GC (using both HP-1 and HP-5 capillary columns and FID and MSD detectors), HPAEC-PAD, and HPAEC-Borate techniques were compared for subsequent analysis of the released monosaccharides. It was shown that acid methanolysis combined with GC analysis is a convenient method for obtaining the sugar unit composition and amount of non-crystalline polysaccharides in different plant materials. The methanolysis method was generally superior to the hydrolysis method for xylan- and uronic acid-containing samples. However, acid and enzymatic hydrolysis showed the highest recoveries for bleached chemical pulp samples. Acid hydrolysis is also required for crystalline polysaccharides, but the strong acid conditions evidently lead to degradation of labile sugars. The plant methanolysates were not suitable as such for analysis on an HPAEC-PAD system. For analysis of the total amount of sugar units, hence including cellulose, other non-crystalline hemicelluloses, and pectins, a combination of the methanolysis and hydrolysis methods is recommended.

Variability in the carbazole assay for N-desulfonated/N-acylated heparin derivatives

The carbazole assay is commonly employed to quantify heparin and other uronic acid-containing polysaccharides. Heparin-derived standard curves are often employed to quantify solutions of various natural and unnatural heparin structures that have different levels of sulfate substitution, different levels of N-sulfo and N-acetyl groups, and other structural changes as a consequence of reducing molecular weight. Recent studies in our laboratory have focused on chemically modified heparin derivatives comprised of structurally diverse N-acyl moieties substituted into heparin in place of N-sulfo groups. We report here that although differing degrees of 2- N-sulfo-, 2- N-acetyl- or 2-amino- d-glucosamine residues within heparin do not affect signal intensity in the carbazole assay, replacing N-sulfo groups in heparin with structurally diverse N-acyl moieties affords products that display significant variation in the assay. The structure of different N-acyl groups, and to a lesser extent the degree of N-acylation by individual N-acyl groups, is shown to variably alter signal intensity in the carbazole assay even though content and structure of uronic acid residues is unaltered.

Nature's many mechanisms for the degradation of oligosaccharides.

Recent work on the mechanistic elucidation of the polysaccharide lyases, the [small alpha]-1,4-glucan lyases, and the Family 4 glycosidases have demonstrated that nature has evolved to use elimination steps for the degradation of oligosaccharides. The polysaccharide lyases (E.C. 4.2.2.-) have been shown to cleave uronic acid-containing polysaccharides via a stepwise E1cB mechanism. The mechanism of the alpha-1,4-glucan lyases (E.C. 4.2.2.13) is similar to the Family 31 glycosidases, forming a covalent glycosyl-enzyme intermediate, which is subsequently cleaved by an E1-like E2 mechanism. Meanwhile, the Family 4 glycosidases (E.C. 3.2.1.6) are suggested to undergo an oxidation-elimination-addition-reduction sequence. These three groups of enzymes are examples of stark contrast to the vast number of well-characterized glycosidases (E.C. 3.2.1.-), which utilize either the direct or double displacement mechanisms as proposed by Koshland over 50 years ago.

Adsorption behavior of oxidized galactomannans onto amino-terminated surfaces and their interaction with bovine serum albumin

Galactomannans extracted from Cassia fastuosa (CF) and Leucaena leucocephala (LL) seeds were purified and oxidized with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) to form the uronic acid-containing polysaccharides CFOX with a degree of oxidation (DO) of 0.22 and LLOX with DO of 0.66, respectively. The adsorption behavior of CFOX and LLOX onto amino-terminated surfaces was studied by means of ellipsometric measurements. The influence of pH and ionic strength on the adsorption was investigated. A strong dependence of pH on the adsorbed amount of CFOX and LLOX was observed. At pH 4, there was a maximum in the adsorbed amount caused by strong electrostatic attraction between the substrate and the oxidized galactomannans. On the other hand, no ionic strength effect on the adsorption of CFOX and LLOX was observed. The immobilization of bovine serum albumin onto LLOX and CFOX was studied as a function of pH. LLOX proved to be a more attractive substrate for BSA than CFOX, indicating that the favorable interactions between the carboxylate groups and the BSA segments have driven the adsorption process. At the isoelectric point of BSA a maximum in the adsorbed amount was found for both surfaces.

Development of a high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed-amperometric detection based quantification assay for pneumococcal polysaccharides and conjugates

A method, using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed-amperometric detection (HPAEC–PAD), has been developed to determine the concentrations of Streptococcus pneumoniae capsular polysaccharides and polysaccharide conjugates used in formulating a conjugate vaccine for the prevention of pneumococcal infections. In an effort to determine optimum hydrolysis conditions for the analysis, pneumococcal polysaccharides were subjected to three different hydrolysis methods: trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) hydrolysis, methanolysis followed by TFA hydrolysis, or hydrofluoric acid (HF) hydrolysis followed by TFA hydrolysis. For quantification purposes, best results were obtained by methanolysis followed by TFA hydrolysis for uronic acid-containing polysaccharides, and by TFA hydrolysis for all the others. For the quantification of all the polysaccharides (from native to conjugated forms), a monosaccharide reference mixture (Rha, Gal and GlcA) hydrolyzed along with the samples can be used as standards for routine analysis. This is much more convenient than to hydrolyze a well-characterized reference polysaccharide (necessary standard only for type 1 capsular polysaccharide). This method is rapid, very sensitive (less than 10 μg of polysaccharide is required), and may replace advantageously the currently used colorimetric assays used to determine polysaccharides content. Moreover, it can be readily adapted for use with other bacterial polysaccharide preparations as well.

An unusual juxtaposition of polysaccharide components of Collema leptosporum

The lichenised ascomycete, Collema leptosporum Malme, was extracted with aqueous methanol to give traces of mannitol and 3- O- β- d-glucopyranosyl- d-mannitol (2.7% yield). The residue was consecutively extracted with hot water to give a complex uronic acid-containing polysaccharide, and then with hot aqueous alkali which provided a mixture of polysaccharides. This was fractionated with Cetavlon to give a branched galactomannan, which had the lowest content of galactose yet reported for such a lichen polysaccharide. It has a main chain of (1→6)-linked α-Man p units partly substituted at O-2,4 by non-reducing end-units of Man p and Gal p, shown by NMR spectroscopy to have α- and β-configurations, respectively. The other polysaccharide component was unexpectedly a branched (1→3), (1→6)-linked β-glucan, which is typical of a basidiomycete, whereas those of ascomycetes contain similar linkages but in linear glucans.