Routine o-glycan characterization in nutritional supplements--a comparison of analytical methods for the monitoring of the bovine kappa-casein macropeptide glycosylation

Comparative Mass Spectrometry Analysis and Immunomodulatory Effects of Casein Glycomacropeptide O-Glycans in Bovine and Caprine Whey Powder

Casein glycomacropeptide carries various O-glycan modifications, which, together with variations in the amino acid composition of the glycopeptide, may result in different biological activities. In this study, O-glycans of casein glycomacropeptide from bovine and caprine whey powder were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by LC-UV-ESI-MS/MS, and their immune activities and regulatory mechanisms were compared. O-Glycans' total content was 1.54 times higher in bovine than in caprine glycomacropeptide. The glycoform H1N1S2 (H: hexose; N: N-acetylgalactosamine; and S: N-acetylneuraminic acid) accounted for nearly 50% of total glycomacropeptide O-glycans in bovine milk but less than 20% in caprine milk. Bovine glycomacropeptide glycosylation promoted the immune activity of RAW264.7 cells, which may be linked to a higher content of disialylated O-glycans. Glycomacropeptide from both milk sources significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of IL-1α, TNF-α, and IL-10 in RAW264.7 cells and activated the MAPK immunomodulatory signaling pathway. This study demonstrates the possible use of casein glycomacropeptide as an immunomodulatory agent.

Top-down analysis of highly post-translationally modified peptides by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Bovine κ-caseinoglycomacropeptide (GMP) is a highly modified peptide from κ-casein produced during the cheese making process. The chemical nature of GMP makes analysis by traditional proteomic approaches difficult, as the peptide bears a strong net negative charge and a variety of post-translational modifications. In this work, we describe the use of electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS) for the top-down analysis of GMP. The method allows the simultaneous detection of different GMP forms that result from the combination of amino acid genetic variations and post-translational modifications, specifically phosphorylation and O-glycosylation. The different GMP forms were identified by high resolution mass spectrometry in both negative and positive mode and confirmation was achieved by tandem MS. The results showed the predominance of two genetic variants of GMP that occur as either mono- or bi-phosphorylated species. Additionally, these four forms can be modified with up to two O-glycans generally sialylated. The results demonstrate the presence of glycosylated, bi-phosphorylated forms of GMP never described before.

Detection and confirmation of milk adulteration with cheese whey using proteomic-like sample preparation and liquid chromatography-electrospray-tandem mass spectrometry analysis

Caseinomacropeptide (CMP) is a peptide released by chymosin in cheese production, remaining in whey. Thus, CMP can be used as a biomarker to fluid milk adulteration through whey addition. Commonly, CMP is analyzed by reversed phase (RP-HPLC) or size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). However, some psychrotropic microorganisms - specially Pseudomonas fluorescens - when present in storaged milk, can produce, by enzymatic pathway, a CMP-like peptide generally called pseudo-CMP. These two peptides differ from each other only by one amino acid. RP-HPLC and SEC methods are unable to distinguish these two peptides, which demand development of a confirmatory method with high selectivity. Considering the several degrees of glycosilation and phosphorylation sites in CMP, allied with possible genetic variation (CMP A and CMP B), analytical methods able to differentiate these peptides are extremely complex. In the present work, we developed a proteomic-like technique for separation and characterization of these peptides, using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization able to differentiate and subsequently quantify CMP and pseudo-CMP in milk samples in order to identify adulteration or contamination of these products. The method shows satisfactory precision (<11%) with a detection limit of 1.0 µg mL(-1) and quantification limit of 5.0 µg mL(-1). Specificity, matrix effects and applicability to real samples analysis were also performed and discussed.

Rapid and individual-specific glycoprofiling of the low abundance N-glycosylated protein tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1

A gel-based method for a mass spectrometric site-specific glycoanalysis was developed using a recombinant glycoprotein expressed in two different cell lines. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography at nanoscale level was used to enrich for glycopeptides prior to MS. The glycoprofiling was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization MS and MS/MS. The method proved to be fast and sensitive and furthermore yielded a comprehensive site-specific glycan analysis, allowing a differentiation of the glycoprofiles of the two sources of recombinant protein, both comprising N-glycans of a highly heterogeneous nature. To test the potential of the method, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), a secreted low abundance N-glycosylated protein and a cancer marker, was purified in an individual-specific manner from plasma of five healthy individuals using IgG depletion and immunoaffinity chromatography. The corresponding TIMP-1 glycoprofiles were determined to be highly similar, comprising mainly bi- and triantennary complex oligosaccharides. Additionally it was shown that platelet-derived TIMP-1 displayed a similar glycoprofile. This is the first study to investigate the glycosylation of naturally occurring human TIMP-1, and the high similarity of the glycoprofiles showed that individual-specific glycosylation variations of TIMP-1 are minimal. In addition, the results showed that TIMP-1 derived from platelets and plasma is similarly glycosylated. This comprehensive and rapid glycoprofiling of a low abundance glycoprotein performed in an individual-specific manner allows for future studies of glycosylated biomarkers for person-specific detection of altered glycosylation and may thus allow early detection and monitoring of diseases.

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography

Separation of polar compounds on polar stationary phases with partly aqueous eluents is by no means a new separation mode in LC. The first HPLC applications were published more than 30 years ago, and were for a long time mostly confined to carbohydrate analysis. In the early 1990s new phases started to emerge, and the practice was given a name, hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC). Although the use of this separation mode has been relatively limited, we have seen a sudden increase in popularity over the last few years, promoted by the need to analyze polar compounds in increasingly complex mixtures. Another reason for the increase in popularity is the widespread use of MS coupled to LC. The partly aqueous eluents high in ACN with a limited need of adding salt is almost ideal for ESI. The applications now encompass most categories of polar compounds, charged as well as uncharged, although HILIC is particularly well suited for solutes lacking charge where coulombic interactions cannot be used to mediate retention. The review attempts to summarize the ongoing discussion on the separation mechanism and gives an overview of the stationary phases used and the applications addressed with this separation mode in LC.

Determination of 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone-labeled carbohydrates by liquid chromatography and micellar electrokinetic chromatography

In this paper, the method for the derivatization of carbohydrates with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) was simplified. One-third of the derivatization time was saved. Five monosaccharide derivatives have been well separated by MEKC and HPLC under optimized conditions. Good reproducibility could be obtained with relative standard deviation (RSD) values of the migration times within 5.0 and 2.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the developed methods have been successfully applied to the analysis of carbohydrates in Aloe powder and food. These methods are quite useful for routine analysis of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides in real samples.