Quantitative analysis and process monitoring of site-specific glycosylation microheterogeneity in recombinant human interferon-gamma from Chinese hamster ovary cell culture by hydrophilic interaction chromatography

Enrichment methods of N-linked glycopeptides from human serum or plasma: A mini-review

Human diseases often correlate with changes in protein glycosylation, which can be observed in serum or plasma samples. N-glycosylation, the most common form, can provide potential biomarkers for disease prognosis and diagnosis. However, glycoproteins constitute a relatively small proportion of the total proteins in human serum and plasma compared to the non-glycosylated protein albumin, which constitutes the majority. The detection of microheterogeneity and low glycan abundance presents a challenge. Mass spectrometry facilitates glycoproteomics research, yet it faces challenges due to interference from abundant plasma proteins. Therefore, methods have emerged to enrich N-glycans and N-linked glycopeptides using glycan affinity, chemical properties, stationary phase chemical coupling, bioorthogonal techniques, and other alternatives. This review focuses on N-glycans and N-glycopeptides enrichment in human serum or plasma, emphasizing methods and applications. Although not exhaustive, it aims to elucidate principles and showcase the utility and limitations of glycoproteome characterization.

Mass Spectrometry-Based Methods for Immunoglobulin G N-Glycosylation Analysis

Mass spectrometry and its hyphenated techniques enabled by the improvements in liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, novel ionization, and fragmentation modes are truly a cornerstone of robust and reliable protein glycosylation analysis. Boost in immunoglobulin G (IgG) glycan and glycopeptide profiling demands for both applied biomedical and research applications has brought many new advances in the field in terms of technical innovations, sample preparation, improved throughput, and confidence in glycan structural characterization. This chapter summarizes mass spectrometry basics, focusing on IgG and monoclonal antibody N-glycosylation analysis on several complexity levels. Different approaches, including antibody enrichment, glycan release, labeling, and glycopeptide preparation and purification, are covered and illustrated with recent breakthroughs and examples from the literature omitting excessive theoretical frameworks. Finally, selected highly popular methodologies in IgG glycoanalytics such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization are discussed more thoroughly yet in simple terms making this text a practical starting point either for the beginner in the field or an experienced clinician trying to make sense out of the IgG glycomic or glycoproteomic dataset.

Heterogeneous glycoform separation by process chromatography: I: Monomer purification and characterization

Fc fusion proteins with high and low sialylation were purified and separated by preparative ion-exchange and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Heterogeneity in sialylation and glycosylation led to variation in surface charge and hydrophobicity, and resulted in multiple distinct glycoform populations in response to various purification conditions. Monomer with high sialic acid content has higher surface charge and adsorbs stronger to ion-exchange resin, while the less sialylated monomer interacts more favorably with hydrophobic resin. Extensive biophysical characterization was carried out for purified monomers at different level of sialylation. In general, different monomeric glycoforms have different surface charge and hydrophobicity, different thermal stability, and different aggregation propensity. The surface charge corresponds well with sialic acid content, as evidenced by electrophoresis, N-link domain analysis, and zeta potential results. The sialylation also contributes to minor modification of protein size, molecular mass and tertiary structure. Notably, fluorescence emission spectra and thermal transition became less distinguishable when the monomers containing low and high sialic acid were prepared in high ionic strength solution. Such finding reiterates the fact that the electrostatic forces, which are largely dependent on sialic acid content of protein, plays a dominant role in many intra- and inter-molecular interactions. Overall, the characterization data agreed well with separation behaviors and provided valuable insight to control of glycoform profile in purification process.

Semi-automated identification of N-Glycopeptides by hydrophilic interaction chromatography, nano-reverse-phase LC-MS/MS, and glycan database search

Glycoproteins fulfill many indispensable biological functions, and changes in protein glycosylation have been observed in various diseases. Improved analytical methods are needed to allow a complete characterization of this complex and common post-translational modification. In this study, we present a workflow for the analysis of the microheterogeneity of N-glycoproteins that couples hydrophilic interaction and nanoreverse-phase C18 chromatography to tandem QTOF mass spectrometric analysis. A glycan database search program, GlycoPeptideSearch, was developed to match N-glycopeptide MS/MS spectra with the glycopeptides comprised of a glycan drawn from the GlycomeDB glycan structure database and a peptide from a user-specified set of potentially glycosylated peptides. Application of the workflow to human haptoglobin and hemopexin, two microheterogeneous N-glycoproteins, identified a total of 57 distinct site-specific glycoforms in the case of haptoglobin and 14 site-specific glycoforms of hemopexin. Using glycan oxonium ions and peptide-characteristic glycopeptide fragment ions and by collapsing topologically redundant glycans, the search software was able to make unique N-glycopeptide assignments for 51% of assigned spectra, with the remaining assignments primarily representing isobaric topological rearrangements. The optimized workflow, coupled with GlycoPeptideSearch, is expected to make high-throughput semiautomated glycopeptide identification feasible for a wide range of users.

Separation with zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography improves protein identification by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-based proteomic analysis

Comprehensive proteomic analyses necessitate efficient separation of peptide mixtures for the subsequent identification of proteins by mass spectrometry (MS). However, digestion of proteins extracted from cells and tissues often yields complex peptide mixtures that confound direct comprehensive MS analysis. This study investigated a zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (ZIC-HILIC) technique for the peptide separation step, which was verified by subsequent MS analysis. Human serum albumin (HSA) was the model protein used for this analysis. HSA was digested with trypsin and resolved by ZIC-HILIC or conventional strong cation exchange (SCX) prior to MS analysis for peptide identification. Separation with ZIC-HILIC significantly improved the identification of HSA peptides over SCX chromatography. Detailed analyses of the identified peptides revealed that the ZIC-HILIC has better peptide fractionation ability. We further demonstrated that ZIC-HILIC is useful for quantitatively surveying cell surface markers specifically expressed in undifferentiated embryonic stem cells. These results suggested the value of ZIC-HILIC as a novel and efficient separation method for comprehensive and quantitative proteomic analyses.

Structural glycomics using hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) with mass spectrometry

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) with mass spectrometry is a versatile technique for structural glycomics. Glycans are retained by hydrogen bonding, ionic interactions, and dipole-dipole interactions. Glycopeptides as well as glycans with various modifications and reducing-end labels can be efficiently separated, which often results in the resolution of isobaric species. Chromatography is usually performed with solvent mixtures of organic modifier (often acetonitrile) and volatile (acidic) buffer which are suitable for online-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. When performed at the nano-scale, this results in a detection limit for oligosaccharides of approximately 1 femtomol. Alternatively, glycans may be analyzed by offline-MALDI-MS(/MS) in both negative-ion mode and positive-ion mode, which allows the registration of informative fragment ion spectra from deprotonated species and sodium adducts, respectively. (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 28:192-206, 2009.

Comparison of LC and LC/MS methods for quantifying N-glycosylation in recombinant IgGs

High-performance liquid chromatography (LC) and liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS) methods with various sample preparation schemes were compared for their ability to identify and quantify glycoforms in two different production lots of a recombinant monoclonal IgG1 antibody. IgG1s contain a conserved N-glycosylation site in the fragment crystallizable (Fc) subunit. Six methods were compared: (1) LC/ESI-MS analysis of intact IgG, (2) LC/ESI-MS analysis of the Fc fragment produced by limited proteolysis with Lys-C, (3) LC/ESI-MS analysis of the IgG heavy chain produced by reduction, (4) LC/ESI-MS analysis of Fc/2 fragment produced by limited proteolysis and reduction, (5) LC/MS analysis of the glycosylated tryptic fragment (293EEQYNSTYR301) using extracted ion chromatograms, and (6) normal phase HPLC analysis of N-glycans cleaved from the IgG using PNGase F. The results suggest that MS quantitation based on the analysis of Fc/2 (4) is accurate and gives results that are comparable to normal phase HPLC analysis of N-glycans (6).

Comparison of N-linked Glycoproteins in Human Whole Saliva, Parotid, Submandibular, and Sublingual Glandular Secretions Identified using Hydrazide Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry

INTRODUCTION: Saliva is a body fluid that holds promise for use as a diagnostic fluid for detecting diseases. Salivary proteins are known to be heavily glycosylated and are known to play functional roles in the oral cavity. We identified N-linked glycoproteins in human whole saliva, as well as the N-glycoproteins in parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glandular fluids. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We employed hydrazide chemistry to affinity enrich for N-linked glycoproteins and glycopeptides. PNGase F releases the N-peptides/proteins from the agarose-hydrazide resin, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the salivary N-glycoproteins. RESULTS: A total of 156 formerly N-glycosylated peptides representing 77 unique N-glycoproteins were identified in salivary fluids. The total number of N-glycoproteins identified in the individual fluids was: 62, 34, 44, and 53 in whole saliva, parotid fluid, submandibular fluid, and sublingual fluid, respectively. The majority of the N-glycoproteins were annotated as extracellular proteins (40%), and several of the N-glycoproteins were annotated as membrane proteins (14%). A number of glycoproteins were differentially found in submandibular and sublingual glandular secretions. CONCLUSIONS: Mapping the N-glycoproteome of parotid, submandibular, and sublingual saliva is important for a thorough understanding of biological processes occurring in the oral cavity and to realize the role of saliva in the overall health of human individuals. Moreover, identifying glycoproteins in saliva may also be valuable for future disease biomarker studies.

Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) in proteomics

In proteomics, nanoflow multidimensional chromatography is now the gold standard for the separation of complex mixtures of peptides as generated by in-solution digestion of whole-cell lysates. Ideally, the different stationary phases used in multidimensional chromatography should provide orthogonal separation characteristics. For this reason, the combination of strong cation exchange chromatography (SCX) and reversed-phase (RP) chromatography is the most widely used combination for the separation of peptides. Here, we review the potential of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) as a separation tool in the multidimensional separation of peptides in proteomics applications. Recent work has revealed that HILIC may provide an excellent alternative to SCX, possessing several advantages in the area of separation power and targeted analysis of protein post-translational modifications. [figure: see text]

Protein concentration by hydrophilic interaction chromatography combined with solid phase extraction

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) is a variant of normal phase chromatography, in which analyte molecules attach to a solid support (e.g., poly [2-hydroxyethyl] aspartamide silica) by the action of a mobile phase containing a high amount of organic modifier such as acetonitrile or propanol. Elution of analyte molecules is achieved, when the resin is washed with a solution devoid of organic solvent. The method and its basic principles have been extensively described by Alpert et al. (1). Applications of HILIC include the isolation of membrane proteins, electroeluted from SDS-PAGE gels (2), glycopeptides (3), and post-translationally modified protein variants (4).Here, an extended application of hydrophilic interaction chromatography is described, which allows nonselective enrichment of proteins from various dilute sources before two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-D PAGE). The use of this approach is demonstrated by processing protein containing samples from high resolution, preparative isoelectric focusing (IEF) separations achieved by carrier free electrophoresis (free flow electrophoresis [FFE]), described in (5). Furthermore the concept of compatible recovery is shown which allows buffer exchange, concentration and recovery of bound proteins in one step directly into a sample buffer required for 2-D PAGE.

Electrostatic repulsion hydrophilic interaction chromatography for isocratic separation of charged solutes and selective isolation of phosphopeptides

If an ion-exchange column is eluted with a predominantly organic mobile phase, then solutes can be retained through hydrophilic interaction even if they have the same charge as the stationary phase. This combination is termed electrostatic repulsion-hydrophilic interaction chromatography (ERLIC). With mixtures of solutes that differ greatly in charge, repulsion effects can be exploited to selectively antagonize the retention of the solutes that normally would be the best retained. This permits the isocratic resolution of mixtures that normally require gradients, including peptides, amino acids, and nucleotides. ERLIC affords convenient separations of highly charged peptides that cannot readily be resolved by other means. In addition, phosphopeptides can be isolated selectively from a tryptic digest.

Exploring the Sialiome Using Titanium Dioxide Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry

Strategies for biomarker discovery increasingly focus on biofluid protein and peptide expression patterns. Post-translational modifications contribute significantly to the pattern complexity and thereby increase the likelihood of obtaining specific biomarkers for diagnostics and disease monitoring. Glycosylation is a common post-translational modification that plays a role e.g. in cell adhesion and in cell-cell and receptor-ligand interactions. Abnormal protein glycosylation has important disease associations, and the glycoproteome is therefore a target for biomarker discovery. Here we present a simple and highly selective strategy for purification of sialic acid-containing glycopeptides (the sialiome) from complex peptide mixtures. The approach utilizes a high and selective affinity of sialic acids for titanium dioxide under specific buffer conditions. In combination with mass spectrometry we used this strategy to characterize the human plasma and saliva sialiomes where 192 and 97 glycosylation sites, respectively, were identified. Furthermore we illustrate the potential of this method in biomarker discovery.

Simple separation of isomeric sialylated N-glycopeptides by a zwitterionic type of hydrophilic interaction chromatography

Asparagine-linked oligosaccharides (N-glycans) usually show structural heterogeneity, especially in proteins with sialylated N-glycans and, therefore, their structural analysis is still very difficult. A zwitterionic type of hydrophilic interaction chromatography column with sulfobetaine functional groups (called a ZIC-HILIC column) was applied to the separation of tryptic peptides of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein. It was demonstrated that the ZIC-HILIC separation column has a selectivity for sialylated N-glycopeptides and a high capability for separation based on the structural recognition of sialylated N-glycan isomers as well as for the previously reported neutral N-glycans and N-glycopeptides. The retention characteristics of neutral and sialylated N-glycans derivatized with 2-aminopyridine (PA N-glycans) demonstrate that the retentions of the N-glycans are based primarily on hydrophilic interaction with the water-rich liquid layer generated on the surface of the ZIC-HILIC column. In addition, the electrostatic repulsion interaction shielded with counter ions effectively tunes the separation and recognition of sialylated N-glycan isomers.

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.

Separation of isomeric 2-aminopyridine derivatized N-glycans and N-glycopeptides of human serum immunoglobulin G by using a zwitterionic type of hydrophilic-interaction chromatography

Isomeric oligosaccharides and isomeric glycopeptides are sometimes difficult to separate on normal-phase (NP) and reversed-phase (RP) columns. A zwitterionic type of hydrophilic-interaction chromatography column with sulfobetaine groups (called ZIC-HILIC column) was first applied to the separation of 2-aminopyridine derivatized (PA) N-glycans and tryptic peptides of human serum immunoglobulin G (IgG). It is shown that the ZIC-HILIC column has high capability for structural recognition of isomeric N-glycans as well as high selectivity for glycopeptides. The former feature (i.e., structural recognition) was proven by sufficient separation of neutral PA N-glycan isomers, which are usually difficult to separate on NP and RP columns. In addition, it is noteworthy that IgG glycopeptides consisting of isomeric N-glycans and the same peptide sequences can be sufficiently separated on a ZIC-HILIC column. The latter feature (i.e., selectivity) was also demonstrated by easily separating two peptide groups with/without N-glycans. Thus, we note that the ZIC-HILIC column is highly promising for a simple analysis of N-glycans and N-glycopeptide samples.

Chromatographic media for bioseparation

Bioseparation processes are dominated by chromatographic steps. Even primary recovery is sometimes accomplished by chromatographic separation, using a fluidized bed instead of a fixed bed. In this review, the action principles, features of chromatography media regarding physical and chemical properties will be described. An attempt will be made to establish categories of different media. Characteristics for bioseparation are the large pores and particle sizes. To achieve sufficient capacity for ultralarge molecules, such as plasmids or nanoparticles, such as viruses monoliths are the media of choice. In these media, the mass transport is accomplished by convection, and thus, the low diffusivity can be overcome. Common to all modern chromatography media is the fast operation. There are examples where a residence time of less then 3 min, is sufficient to reach the full potential of the adsorbent.

O-Linked glycosylation in maize-expressed human IgA1

O-Linked glycans vary between eukaryotic cell types and play an important role in determining a glycoprotein's properties, including stability, target recognition, and potentially immunogenicity. We describe O-linked glycan structures of a recombinant human IgA1 (hIgA1) expressed in transgenic maize. Up to six proline/hydroxyproline conversions and variable amounts of arabinosylation (Pro/Hyp + Ara) were found in the hinge region of maize-expressed hIgA1 heavy chain (HC) by using a combination of matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS), chromatography, and amino acid analysis. Approximately 90% of hIgA1 was modified in this way. An average molar ratio of six Ara units per molecule of hIgA1 was revealed. Substantial sequence similarity was identified between the HC hinge region of hIgA1 and regions of maize extensin-family of hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGP). We propose that because of this sequence similarity, the HC hinge region of maize-expressed hIgA1 can become a substrate for posttranslational conversion of Pro to Hyp by maize prolyl-hydroxylase(s) with the subsequent arabinosylation of the Hyp residues by Hyp-glycosyltransferase(s) in the Golgi apparatus in maize endosperm tissue. The observation of up to six Pro/Hyp hydroxylations combined with extensive arabinosylation in the hIgA1 HC hinge region is well in agreement with the Pro/Hyp hydroxylation model and the Hyp contiguity hypothesis suggested earlier in literature for plant HRGP. For the first time, the extensin-like Hyp/Pro conversion and O-linked arabinosylation are described for a recombinant therapeutic protein expressed in transgenic plants. Our findings are of significance to the field of plant biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industry-developing transgenic plants as a platform for the production of recombinant therapeutic proteins.

A new strategy for identification of N-glycosylated proteins and unambiguous assignment of their glycosylation sites using HILIC enrichment and partial deglycosylation

Characterization of glycoproteins using mass spectrometry ranges from determination of carbohydrate-protein linkages to the full characterization of all glycan structures attached to each glycosylation site. In a novel approach to identify N-glycosylation sites in complex biological samples, we performed an enrichment of glycosylated peptides through hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) followed by partial deglycosylation using a combination of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases (EC 3.2.1.96). After hydrolysis with these enzymes, a single N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residue remains linked to the asparagine residue. The removal of the major part of the glycan simplifies the MS/MS fragment ion spectra of glycopeptides, while the remaining GlcNAc residue enables unambiguous assignment of the glycosylation site together with the amino acid sequence. We first tested our approach on a mixture of known glycoproteins, and subsequently the method was applied to samples of human plasma obtained by lectin chromatography followed by 1D gel-electrophoresis for determination of 62 glycosylation sites in 37 glycoproteins.

Glycation and post-translational processing of human interferon-gamma expressed in Escherichia coli

Until recently, nonenzymatic glycosylation (glycation) was thought to affect the proteins of long living eukaryotes only. However, in a recent study (Mironova, R., Niwa, T., Hayashi, H., Dimitrova, R., and Ivanov, I. (2001) Mol. Microbiol. 39, 1061-1068), we have shown that glycation takes place in Escherichia coli as well. In the present study, we demonstrate that the post-translational processing (proteolysis and covalent dimerization) observed with cysteineless recombinant human interferon-gamma (rhIFN-gamma) is tightly associated with its in vivo glycation. Our results show that, at the time of isolation, rhIFN-gamma contained early (but not advanced) glycation products. Using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography in conjunction with fluorescence measurements, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and mass spectrometry, we found that advanced glycation end products arose in rhIFN-gamma during storage. The latter were identified mainly in the Arg/Lys-rich C terminus of the protein, which was also the main target of proteolysis. Mass spectral analysis and N-terminal sequencing revealed four major (Arg140/Arg141, Phe137/Arg138, Met135/Leu136, and Lys131/Arg132) and two minor (Lys109/Ala110 and Arg90/Asp91) cleavage sites in this region. Tryptic peptide mapping indicated that the covalent dimers of rhIFN-gamma originating during storage were formed mainly by lateral cross-linking of the monomer subunits. Antiviral assay showed that proteolysis lowered the antiviral activity of rhIFN-gamma, whereas covalent dimerization completely abolished it.

Analysis of highly polar compounds of plant origin: combination of hydrophilic interaction chromatography and electrospray ion trap mass spectrometry

The primary goal of metabolomic analysis is the unbiased relative quantification of every metabolite in a biological system. A number of different metabolite-profiling techniques must be combined to make this possible. Here we report the separation and analysis of highly polar compounds in a proof of concept study. Compounds were separated and analyzed using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled to electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. Two types of HILIC microbore columns (Polyhydroxyethyl A and TSK Gel Amide 80) were compared to normal phase silica HPLC columns. The best separations of standards mixtures and plant samples were achieved using the Amide 80 stationary phase. ESI enabled the detection of both positively and negatively charged metabolites, when coupled to a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer using continuous polarity switching. By stepwise mass spectrometric fragmentation of the most intense ions, unknown compounds could be identified and then included into a custom mass spectrometric library. This method was used to detect oligosaccharides, glycosides, amino sugars, amino acids, and sugar nucleotides in phloem exudates from petioles of fully expanded Cucurbita maxima leaves. Quantitative analysis was performed using external standards. The detection limit for stachyose was 0.5 ng per injection (Amide 80). The concentration of stachyose in investigated phloem samples was in the range of 1-7 mM depending on the plant.

HPLC of peptides and proteins: standard operating conditions

The standard operating conditions for the eight basic modes of HPLC are presented in this unit. They include: size-exclusion chromatography (HP-SEC), ion-exchange chromatography (HP-IEX), normal phase chromatography (HP-NPC), hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HP-HIC), reversed-phase chromatography (RP-HPLC), hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HP-HILIC), immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (HP-IMAC), and biospecific/biomimetic affinity chromatography (HP-BAC). In addition, some subsets of these chromatographic modes, e.g., mixed mode chromatography (HP-MMC), charge transfer chromatography (HP-CTC), or ligand-exchange chromatography (HP-LEC) are described. Procedures for multimodal column switching are also included, as are guidelines for a systematic approach to method development. Example separations help illustrate the procedures. The standard operating conditions for the eight basic modes of HPLC are presented in this unit.

Liquid chromatography ion trap mass spectrometric analysis of oligosaccharides using permethylated derivatives

Reversed phase liquid chromatography was combined with the multiple stage mass analysis capability of an ion trap mass spectrometer for the characterization of permethylated oligosaccharide mixtures. The new method was used to separate the components of an unlabeled permethylated maltooligomer ladder, a 2-aminobenzamide-labeled (2-AB) maltooligomer ladder, a complex mixture of 2AB-labeled bi- (B), tri- (T), and tetraantennary (Q) standards, and a mixture of recombinant glycoprotein carbohydrates from soluble CD4 with varying sialic acid (S) content. Using reversed phase HPLC, permethylated mixture components including alpha and beta anomers were separated based on their structures. Fluorescent labeling with 2-aminobenzamide prior to permethylation was employed for off-line method development, but was not necessarily required for mass spectral analysis, as permethylation alone improved the ionization and fragmentation characteristics of the molecules. Antennae composition of permethylated derivatives was determined in MS(2) where the fragmentation patterns of the Y- and B-ion series predominated, and then further evaluated in MS(3), which provided additional information on branching obtained from A and X cross-ring fragmentation.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of carbohydrates

This review describes the application of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry to carbohydrate analysis and covers the period 1991-1998. The technique is particularly valuable for carbohydrates because it enables underivatised, as well as derivatised compounds to be examined. The various MALDI matrices that have been used for carbohydrate analysis are described, and the use of derivatization for improving mass spectral detection limits is also discussed. Methods for sample preparation and for extracting carbohydrates from biological media prior to mass spectrometric analysis are compared with emphasis on highly sensitive mass spectrometric methods. Quantitative aspects of MALDI are covered with respect to the relationship between signal strength and both mass and compound structure. The value of mass measurements by MALDI to provide a carbohydrate composition is stressed, together with the ability of the technique to provide fragmentation spectra. The use of in-source and post-source decay and collision-induced fragmentation in this context is described with emphasis on ions that provide information on the linkage and branching patterns of carbohydrates. The use of MALDI mass spectrometry, linked with exoglycosidase sequencing, is described for N-linked glycans derived from glycoproteins, and methods for the analysis of O-linked glycans are also covered. The review ends with a description of various applications of the technique to carbohydrates found as constituents of glycoproteins, bacterial glycolipids, sphingolipids, and glycolipid anchors.

Isolation, primary structure characterization and identification of the glycosylation pattern of recombinant goldfish neurolin, a neuronal cell adhesion protein

Neurolin is a growth-associated cell surface glycoprotein from goldfish and zebra fish which has been shown to be involved in axonal path-finding in the goldfish retina and suggested to function as a receptor for axon guidance molecules. Being a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion proteins, neurolin consists of five N-terminal extracellular immunoglobulin (Ig)-like domains, a transmembrane and a short cytoplasmatic domain. Repeated injections of polyclonal Fab fragments against neurolin and of monoclonal antibodies against either Ig domains cause path-finding errors and disturbance of axonal fasciculation. In order to obtain a complete structural characterization and a molecular basis for structure-function determination, recombinant neurolin with the complete extracellular part but lacking the transmembrane and cytoplasmatic domain was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (CHO-neurolin). The isolation of CHO-neurolin was carried out by Ni-affinity chromatography and subsequent high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). An exact molecular mass determination was obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI/MS) and revealed 60.9 kDa, which suggested that approximately 10 kDa are due to glycosylation. The predicted molecular mass is 51.5 kDa, whereas sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) yielded an apparent molecular mass of 72 kDa. Gel shift assays using SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis with anti-neurolin antibodies provided consistent molecular mass data. The complete primary structure and N-glycosylation patterns were identified using specific lectin assays, MALDI/MS peptide mapping analysis by proteolytic and in-gel digestion, electrospray ionization MS and MALDI/MS in combination with specific glycosidase degradation. HPLC isolation of glycosylated peptide fragments and MS after selective deglycosylation revealed heterogeneous glycosylations at all five N-glycosylation consensus sites. All attached N-glycans are of the complex type and show a mainly biantennary structure; they are fucosylated with alpha(2,3)-terminal neuraminic acid. These data serve as a first detailed model to characterize the molecular recognition structures exhibited by the extracellular domains.