Negative-Ion Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Microarray Analyses of Developmentally Regulated Antigens Based on Type 1 and Type 2 Backbone Sequences

Isolation of Human Milk Difucosyl Nona- and Decasaccharides by Ultrahigh-Temperature Preparative PGC-HPLC and Identification of Novel Difucosylated Heptaose and Octaose Backbones by Negative-Ion ESI-MSn

Despite their many important physiological functions, past work on the diverse sequences of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) has been focused mainly on the highly abundant HMOs with a relatively low degree of polymerization (DP) due to the lack of efficient methods for separation/purification and high-sensitivity sequencing of large-sized HMOs with DP ≥ 10. Here we established an ultrahigh-temperature preparative HPLC based on a porous graphitized carbon column at up to 145 °C to overcome the anomeric α/β splitting problem and developed further the negative-ion ESI-CID-MS/MS into multistage MSn using a combined product-ion scanning of singly charged molecular ion and doubly charged fragment ion of the branching Gal and adjacent GlcNAc residues. The separation and sequencing method allows efficient separation of a neutral fraction with DP ≥ 10 into 70 components, among which 17 isomeric difucosylated nona- and decasaccharides were further purified and sequenced. As a result, novel branched difucosyl heptaose and octaose backbones were unambiguously identified in addition to the conventional linear and branched octaose backbones. The novel structures of difucosylated DF-novo-heptaose, DF-novo-LNO I, and DF-novo-LNnO I were corroborated by NMR. The various fucose-containing Lewis epitopes identified on different backbones were confirmed by oligosaccharide microarray analysis.

Differential recognition of oligomannose isomers by glycan-binding proteins involved in innate and adaptive immunity

The recognition of oligomannose-type glycans in innate and adaptive immunity is elusive due to multiple closely related isomeric glycan structures. To explore the functions of oligomannoses, we developed a multifaceted approach combining mass spectrometry assignments of oligomannose substructures and the development of a comprehensive oligomannose microarray. This defined microarray encompasses both linear and branched glycans, varying in linkages, branching patterns, and phosphorylation status. With this resource, we identified unique recognition of oligomannose motifs by innate immune receptors, including DC-SIGN, L-SIGN, Dectin-2, and Langerin, broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV gp120, N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase, and the bacterial adhesin FimH. The results demonstrate that each protein exhibits a unique specificity to oligomannose motifs and suggest the potential to rationally design inhibitors to selectively block these protein-glycan interactions.

Mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns discriminate C1- and C4-oxidised cello-oligosaccharides from their non-oxidised and reduced forms

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are powerful enzymes that degrade recalcitrant polysaccharides, such as cellulose. However, the identification of LPMO-generated C1- and/or C4-oxidised oligosaccharides is far from straightforward. In particular, their fragmentation patterns have not been well established when using mass spectrometry. Hence, we studied the fragmentation behaviours of non-, C1- and C4-oxidised cello-oligosaccharides, including their sodium borodeuteride-reduced forms, by using hydrophilic interaction chromatography and negative ion mode collision induced dissociation - mass spectrometry. Non-oxidised cello-oligosaccharides showed predominantly C- and A-type cleavages. In comparison, C4-oxidised ones underwent B-/Y- and X-cleavage close to the oxidised non-reducing end, while closer to the reducing end C-/Z- and A-fragmentation predominated. C1-oxidised cello-oligosaccharides showed extensively A-cleavage. Reduced oligosaccharides showed predominant glycosidic bond cleavage, both B-/Y- and C-/Z-, close to the non-reducing end. Our findings provide signature mass spectrometric fragmentation patterns to unambiguously elucidate the catalytic behaviour and classification of LPMOs.

Glycan Markers of Human Stem Cells Assigned with Beam Search Arrays

Glycan antigens recognized by monoclonal antibodies have served as stem cell markers. To understand regulation of their biosynthesis and their roles in stem cell behavior precise assignments are required. We have applied state-of-the-art glycan array technologies to compare the glycans bound by five antibodies that recognize carbohydrates on human stem cells. These are: FC10.2, TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81, anti-i and R-10G. Microarray analyses with a panel of sequence-defined glycans corroborate that FC10.2, TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81 recognize the type 1-(Galβ-3GlcNAc)-terminating backbone sequence, Galβ-3GlcNAcβ-3Galβ-4GlcNAcβ-3Galβ-4GlcNAc, and anti-i, the type 2-(Galβ-4GlcNAc) analog, Galβ-4GlcNAcβ-3Galβ-4GlcNAcβ-3Galβ-4GlcNAc, and we determine substituents they can accommodate. They differ from R-10G, which requires sulfate. By Beam Search approach, starting with an antigen-positive keratan sulfate polysaccharide, followed by targeted iterative microarray analyses of glycan populations released with keratanases and mass spectrometric monitoring, R-10G is assigned as a mono-sulfated type 2 chain with 6-sulfation at the penultimate N-acetylglucosamine, Galβ-4GlcNAc(6S)β-3Galβ-4GlcNAcβ-3Galβ-4GlcNAc. Microarray analyses using newly synthesized glycans corroborate the assignment of this unique determinant raising questions regarding involvement as a ligand in the stem cell niche.

Linkage and sequence analysis of neutral oligosaccharides by negative-ion MALDI tandem mass spectrometry with laser-induced dissociation

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become the primary method for high-sensitivity structural determination of oligosaccharides. Fragmentation in the negative-ion MS can provide a wealth of structural information and these can be used for sequence determination. However, although negative-ion MS of neutral oligosaccharide using the deprotonated molecule [M-H]^- as the precursor has been very successful for electrospray ionization (ESI), it has only limited success for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). In the present study, the features of negative-ion MALDI primary spectra were investigated in detail and the product-ion spectra using [M-H]^- and [M+Cl]^- as the precursors were carefully compared. The formation of [M-H]^- was the main difficulty for MALDI while [M+Cl]^- was proved to be useful as alternative precursor anion for MALDI-MS/MS to produce similar fragmentation for sequencing of neutral oligosaccharides. N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine dihydrochloride was then used as both the matrix and the Cl^- dopant to evaluate the extent of structural information that can be obtained by negative-ion fragmentation from [M+Cl]^- using laser-induced dissociation (LID)-MS/MS for linkage assignment of gluco-oligosaccharides and for typing of blood-group ABO(H) and Lewis antigens on either type 1 or type 2 backbone-chains.

Ti3C2 MXene as a novel substrate provides rapid differentiation and quantitation of glycan isomers with LDI-MS

Here we report Ti₃C₂ MXene assisted LDI-LIFT-TOF/TOF for robust differentiation and relative quantitation of glycan isomers that differ in composition, connectivity and configuration.

O-Glycome Beam Search Arrays for Carbohydrate Ligand Discovery

O-glycosylation is a post-translational modification of proteins crucial to molecular mechanisms in health and disease. O-glycans are typically highly heterogeneous. The involvement of specific O-glycan sequences in many bio-recognition systems is yet to be determined because of a lack of efficient methodologies. We describe here a targeted microarray approach: O-glycome beam search that is both robust and efficient for O-glycan ligand-discovery. Substantial simplification of the complex O-glycome profile and facile chromatographic resolution is achieved by arraying O-glycans as branches, monitoring by mass spectrometry, focusing on promising fractions, and on-array immuno-sequencing. This is orders of magnitude more sensitive than traditional methods. We have applied beam search approach to porcine stomach mucin and identified extremely minor components previously undetected within the O-glycome of this mucin that are ligands for the adhesive proteins of two rotaviruses. The approach is applicable to O-glycome recognition studies in a wide range of biological settings to give insights into glycan recognition structures in natural microenvironments.

Binding of CLL subset 4 B-cell receptor immunoglobulins to viable human memory B lymphocytes requires a distinctive IGKV somatic mutation

Amino acid replacement mutations in certain CLL stereotyped B-cell receptor (BCR) immunoglobulins (IGs) at defined positions within antigen-binding sites strongly imply antigen selection. Prime examples of this are CLL subset 4 BCR IGs using IGHV4-34/IGHD5-18/IGHJ6 and IGKV2-30/IGKJ2 rearrangements. Conspicuously and unlike most CLL IGs, subset 4 IGs do not bind apoptotic cells. By testing the (auto)antigenic reactivities of subset 4 IGs toward viable lymphoid-lineage cells and specific autoantigens typically bound by IGHV4-34⁺ IGs, we found IGs from both subset 4 and non-subset 4 IGHV4-34-expressing CLL cases bind naïve B cells. However, only subset 4 IGs react with memory B cells. Furthermore, subset 4 IGs do not bind DNA nor i or I carbohydrate antigens, common targets of IGHV4-34-utilizing antibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus and cold agglutinin disease, respectively. Notably, we found that subset 4 IG binding to memory B lymphocytes depends on an aspartic acid at position 66 of FR3 in the rearranged IGKV2-30 gene; this amino acid residue is acquired by somatic mutation. Our findings illustrate the importance of positive and negative selection criteria for structural elements in CLL IGs and suggest that autoantigens driving normal B cells to become subset 4 CLL cells differ from those driving IGHV4-34⁺ B cells in other diseases.

Histo-blood group glycans in the context of personalized medicine

BACKGROUND

A subset of histo-blood group antigens including ABO and Lewis are oligosaccharide structures which may be conjugated to lipids or proteins. They are known to be important recognition motifs not only in the context of blood transfusions, but also in infection and cancer development.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

Current knowledge on the molecular background and the implication of histo-blood group glycans in the prevention and therapy of infectious and non-communicable diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease, is presented.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Glycan-based histo-blood groups are associated with intestinal microbiota composition, the risk of various diseases as well as therapeutic success of, e.g., vaccination. Their potential as prebiotic or anti-microbial agents, as disease biomarkers and vaccine targets should be further investigated in future studies. For this, recent and future technological advancements will be of particular importance, especially with regard to the unambiguous structural characterization of the glycan portion in combination with information on the protein and lipid carriers of histo-blood group-active glycans in large cohorts.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Histo-blood group glycans have a unique linking position in the complex network of genes, oncodevelopmental biological processes, and disease mechanisms. Thus, they are highly promising targets for novel approaches in the field of personalized medicine. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Glycans in personalised medicine" Guest Editor: Professor Gordan Lauc.