Quantification of the α2-6 Sialic Acid Linkage in Branched N-Glycan Structures with Capillary Nanogel Electrophoresis

Recent advances in microscale separation techniques for glycome analysis

The glycomic analysis holds significant appeal due to the diverse roles that glycans and glycoconjugates play, acting as modulators and mediators in cellular interactions, cell/organism structure, drugs, energy sources, glyconanomaterials, and more. The glycomic analysis relies on liquid-phase separation technologies for molecular purification, separation, and identification. As a miniaturized form of liquid-phase separation technology, microscale separation technologies offer various advantages such as environmental friendliness, high resolution, sensitivity, fast speed, and integration capabilities. For glycan analysis, microscale separation technologies are continuously evolving to address the increasing challenges in their unique manners. This review discusses the fundamentals and applications of microscale separation technologies for glycomic analysis. It covers liquid-phase separation technologies operating at scales generally less than 100 µm, including capillary electrophoresis, nanoflow liquid chromatography, and microchip electrophoresis. We will provide a brief overview of glycomic analysis and describe new strategies in microscale separation and their applications in glycan analysis from 2014 to 2023.

Fluorescent parallel electrophoresis assay of enzyme inhibition

BACKGROUND

Enzyme inhibitors comprise the largest class of pharmaceutical compounds. The discovery and development of new enzyme inhibitor drug candidates depends on sensitive tools to quantify inhibition constants, Ki, for the most promising candidates. A high throughput, automated, and miniaturized approach to measure inhibition is reported. In this technique enzyme inhibition occurs within a 16 nL nanogel reaction zone that is integrated into a capillary. The reaction and electrophoresis separation are completed in under 10 min. The nanoliter enzyme reaction zones are easily positioned inside a standard separation capillary by pseudo-immobilizing enzymes within a thermally reversible nanogel.

RESULTS

This report optimizes and validates a capillary nanogel electrophoresis reaction and separation with a multi-capillary array instrument. Inhibitor constants are determined for the neuraminidase enzyme to quantify the effect of the transition state analog, 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetylneuraminic acid (DANA), as well as the inhibitor Siastatin B. With the multi-capillary array assay replicate Ki values are determined to be 5.7 ± 0.1 μM (n = 3) and 9.2 ± 0.2 μM (n = 3) for DANA and Siastatin B, respectively. The enzyme reaction in each separation capillary converts the substrate to a product in real time. The nanogel is used under suppressed electroosmotic flow, sustains enzyme function, and is easily filled and replaced by changing the capillary temperature. Using laser-induced fluorescence allows the determination to be achieved with substrate concentrations well below the Michaelis-Menten constant, making the method independent of the substrate concentration and therefore a more easily implemented assay.

SIGNIFICANCE

A lower measurement cost is realized when the reaction volume is miniaturized because the amounts of enzyme, substrate and inhibitor are reduced. Fast enzyme reactions are possible because of the small reaction volume. With a multi-capillary array, the inhibition assay is achieved in a fraction of the time required for traditional methods. The separation-based assay can even be applied to labeled substrates not cleaned up following the labeling reaction.

A review of electrophoretic separations in temperature-responsive Pluronic thermal gels

Gel electrophoresis is a ubiquitous bioanalytical technique used in research laboratories to validate protein and nucleic acid samples. Polyacrylamide and agarose have been the gold standard gel materials for decades, but an alternative class of polymer has emerged with potentially superior performance. Pluronic thermal gels are water-soluble polymers that possess the unique ability to undergo a change in viscosity in response to changing temperature. Thermal gels can reversibly convert between low-viscosity liquids and high-viscosity solid gels using temperature as an adjustable parameter. The properties of thermal gels provide unmatched flexibility as a dynamic separations matrix to measure analytes ranging from small molecules to cells. This review article describes the physical and chemical properties of Pluronic thermal gels to provide a fundamental overview of polymer behavior. The performance of thermal gels is then reviewed to highlight their applications as a gel matrix for electrokinetic separations in capillary, microfluidic, and slab gel formats. The use of dynamic temperature-responsive gels in bioanalytical separations is an underexplored area of research but one that holds exciting potential to achieve performance unattainable with conventional static polymers.

Gels in Microscale Electrophoresis

Gel matrices are fundamental to electrophoresis analyses of biopolymers in microscale channels. Both capillary gel and microchannel gel electrophoresis systems have produced fundamental advances in the scientific community. These analytical techniques remain as foundational tools in bioanalytical chemistry and are indispensable in the field of biotherapeutics. This review summarizes the current state of gels in microscale channels and provides a brief description of electrophoretic transport in gels. In addition to the discussion of traditional polymers, several nontraditional gels are introduced. Advances in gel matrices highlighted include selective polymers modified to contain added functionality as well as thermally responsive gels formed through self-assembly. This review discusses cutting-edge applications to challenging areas of discovery in DNA, RNA, protein, and glycan analyses. Finally, emerging techniques that result in multifunctional assays for real-time biochemical processing in capillary and three-dimensional channels are identified.

Analysis of Sialic Acid Linkage in N-Linked Glycopeptides Using Liquid Chromatography-Electron-Activated Dissociation Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Herein, we report a novel liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry method to characterize N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac, Sa) linkage in N-linked glycans in glycopeptides with no sialic acid derivatization. First, we established a separation in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a higher formic acid concentration in the mobile phases, which separated the N-glycopeptides depending on the Sa linkage. We also demonstrated a novel characterization method of Sa linkages in N-glycopeptides using electron-activated dissociation. We found that hot electron capture dissociation using an electron beam energy higher than 5 eV cleaved glycosidic bonds in glycopeptides, resulting in each glycosidic bond in the antennas being broken on both sides of the oxygen atom. Such glycosidic bond cleavage at the reducing end (C-type ion) showed the difference in Sa linkages between Sa-Gal, Gal-GlcNAc, and GlcNAc-Man. We proposed a rule to characterize the Sa linkages using the Sa-Gal products. This method was applied to N-glycopeptides in tryptic fetuin digest separated by an optimized reversed-phase HPLC. We successfully identified a number of isomeric glycoforms in the glycopeptides with different Sa links, whose peptide backbones were also simultaneously sequenced by hot ECD.

Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: An update for 2019-2020

This review is the tenth update of the original article published in 1999 on the application of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry to the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates and brings coverage of the literature to the end of 2020. Also included are papers that describe methods appropriate to analysis by MALDI, such as sample preparation techniques, even though the ionization method is not MALDI. The review is basically divided into three sections: (1) general aspects such as theory of the MALDI process, matrices, derivatization, MALDI imaging, fragmentation, quantification and the use of arrays. (2) Applications to various structural types such as oligo- and polysaccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycosides and biopharmaceuticals, and (3) other areas such as medicine, industrial processes and glycan synthesis where MALDI is extensively used. Much of the material relating to applications is presented in tabular form. The reported work shows increasing use of incorporation of new techniques such as ion mobility and the enormous impact that MALDI imaging is having. MALDI, although invented nearly 40 years ago is still an ideal technique for carbohydrate analysis and advancements in the technique and range of applications show little sign of diminishing.

Microscale Quantification of the Inhibition of Neuraminidase Using Capillary Nanogel Electrophoresis

Neuraminidase inhibitors modulate infections that involve sialic acids, making quantitative analyses of this inhibitory effect important for selecting and designing potential therapeutics. An automated nanogel capillary electrophoresis system is developed that integrates a 5 nL enzyme inhibition reaction in line with a 5 min separation-based assay of the enzymatic product to quantify inhibition as the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and inhibitor constant (Ki). A neuraminidase enzyme from Clostridium perfringens is non-covalently immobilized in a thermally tunable nanogel positioned in the thermally controlled region of the capillary by increasing the capillary temperature to 37 °C. Aqueous inhibitor solutions are loaded into the capillary during the nanogel patterning step to surround the enzyme zone. The capillary electrophoresis separation provides a means to distinguish the de-sialylated product, enabling the use of sialyllactose which contains the trisaccharide motif observed on serine/threonine-linked (O-linked) glycans. A universal nanogel patterning scheme is developed that does not require pre-mixing of enzymes with inhibitors when an automated capillary electrophoresis instrument is used, thus reducing the consumption of enzymes and enabling adaption of the method to different inhibitors. The universal approach is successfully applied to two classical neuraminidase inhibitors with different electrophoretic mobilities. The IC50 and Ki values obtained for N-acetyl-2,3-dehydro-2-deoxyneuraminic acid (DANA) are 13 ± 3 and 5.0 ± 0.9 μM, respectively, and 28 ± 3 and 11 ± 1 μM, respectively, for Siastatin B. These values agree with literature reports and reflect the weaker inhibition anticipated for Siastatin B in comparison to DANA.

Liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis in glycomic and glycoproteomic analysis

Glycosylation is one of the most significant and abundant post-translational modifications in cells. Glycomic and glycoproteomic analyses involve the characterization of oligosaccharides (glycans) conjugated to proteins. Glycomic and glycoproteomic analysis is highly challenging because of the large diversity of structures, low abundance, site-specific heterogeneity, and poor ionization efficiency of glycans and glycopeptides in mass spectrometry (MS). MS is a key tool for characterization of glycans and glycopeptides. However, MS alone does not always provide full structural and quantitative information for many reasons, and thus MS is combined with some separation technique. This review focuses on the role of separation techniques used in glycomic and glycoproteomic analyses, liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis. The most important separation conditions and results are presented and discussed.

Graphical abstract

Fast Discrimination of Sialylated N-Glycan Linkage Isomers with One-Step Derivatization by Microfluidic Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

Linkage isomers (α-2,3- or α-2,6-linkage) of sialylated N-glycans are involved in the emergence and progression of some diseases, so they are of great significance for diagnosing and monitoring diseases. However, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of sialylated N-glycan linkage isomers remains challenging due to their low abundance and limited isomeric separation techniques. Herein, we developed a novel strategy integrating one-step sialic acid derivatization, positive charge-sensitive separation and highly sensitive detection based on microfluidic capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (MCE-MS) for fast and specific analysis of α-2,3- and α-2,6-linked sialylated N-glycan isomers. A kind of easily charged long-chain amino compound was screened first for one-step sialic acid derivatization so that only α-2,3- and α-2,6-linked isomers can be quickly and efficiently separated within 10 min by MCE due to the difference in structural conformation, whose separation mechanism was further theoretically supported by molecular dynamic simulation. In addition, different sialylated N-glycans were separated in order according to the number of sialic acids, so that a migration time-based prediction of the number of sialic acids was achieved. Finally, the sialylated N-glycome of human serum was profiled within 10 min and 6 of the 52 detected sialylated N-glycans could be potential diagnostic biomarkers of cervical cancer (CC), whose α-2,3- and α-2,6-linked isomers were distinguished by α-2,3Neuraminidase S.

Isomer-Specific Monitoring of Sialylated N-Glycans Reveals Association of α2,3-Linked Sialic Acid Epitope With Behcet's Disease

Behcet’s disease (BD) is an immune disease characterized by chronic and relapsing systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology, which can lead to blindness and even death. Despite continuous efforts to discover biomarkers for accurate and rapid diagnosis and optimal treatment of BD, there is still no signature marker with high sensitivity and high specificity. As the link between glycosylation and the immune system has been revealed, research on the immunological function of glycans is being actively conducted. In particular, sialic acids at the terminus of glycoconjugates are directly implicated in immune responses, cell–cell/pathogen interactions, and tumor progression. Therefore, changes in sialic acid epitope in the human body are spotlighted as a new indicator to monitor the onset and progression of immune diseases. Here, we performed global profiling of N-glycan compositions derived from the sera of 47 healthy donors and 47 BD patients using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to preferentially determine BD target glycans. Then, three sialylated biantennary N-glycans were further subjected to the separation of linkage isomers and quantification using porous graphitized carbon-liquid chromatography (PGC-LC)/multiple reaction monitoring (MRM)-MS. We were able to successfully identify 11 isomers with sialic acid epitopes from the three glycan compositions consisting of Hex₅HexNAc₄NeuAc₁, Hex₅HexNAc₄Fuc₁NeuAc₁, and Hex₅HexNAc₄NeuAc₂. Among them, three isomers almost completely distinguished BD from control with high sensitivity and specificity with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.945, suggesting the potential as novel BD biomarkers. In particular, it was confirmed that α2,3-sialic acid at the terminus of biantennary N-glycan was the epitope associated with BD. In this study, we present a novel approach to elucidating the association between BD and glycosylation by tracing isomeric structures containing sialic acid epitopes. Isomer-specific glycan profiling is suitable for analysis of large clinical cohorts and may facilitate the introduction of diagnostic assays for other immune diseases.

Capillary Nanogel Electrophoresis for the Determination of the β1-4 Galactosyltransferase Michaelis-Menten Constant and Real-Time Addition of Galactose Residues to N-Glycans and Glycoprotein

A thermally reversible nanogel is used in capillary electrophoresis to create discrete regions for a galactosyltransferase reaction and separation. The β1-4 galactosyltransferase enzyme, donor, and co-factor were patterned in the capillary. The substrate was driven through these zones and converted to galactosylated products, which were separated and identified. Using this capillary electrophoresis method, the degree of glycosylation was discernible for a pentasaccharide and for biantennary N-glycans. With the ability to distinguish between reaction products for which either one or two galactose residues were transferred, the capillary nanogel electrophoresis system was used to determine the Michaelis-Menten value, KM. For the β1-4 galactosyltransferase, the KM value obtained for a pentasaccharide substrate was 1.23 ± 0.08 mM. Once KM was established, the enzyme/substrate ratio was evaluated to add a single galactose residue or to fully galactosylate a biantennary N-glycan. Additionally, capillary nanogel electrophoresis was adapted to transfer galactose residues to protein. The applicability of the method for real-time online modification of whole protein was demonstrated with the Herceptin glycoprotein. Complete retardation by Erythrina cristagalli lectin after enzymatic modification confirmed the addition of galactose residues to the Herceptin. This demonstrated the potential of the method to be used for online modification of other glycoproteins.

Hitting the sweet spot with capillary electrophoresis: advances in N-glycomics and glycoproteomics

N-glycosylation is of paramount importance for understanding the mechanisms of various human diseases and ensuring the safety and efficacy of biotherapeutics. Traditional glycan analysis techniques include LC-based separations and MALDI-TOF-MS identification. However, the current state-of-the-art methods lack throughput and structural information, include laborious sample preparation procedures and require large sample volumes. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) has long been used for the screening and reliable quantitation of glycans, but its applications have been limited. Because of its speed, sensitivity and complementarity with standard glycan analysis techniques, CE is currently emerging as one of the most versatile and adaptable methods for glycan analysis in both academia and industry. Herein, we review the latest advancements in CE-based applications to glycomics and glycoproteomics within both the biopharmaceutical and clinical sectors.

Hydrogels in Electrophoresis: Applications and Advances

A hydrogel is a solid form of polymer network absorbed in a substantial amount of aqueous solution. In electrophoresis, hydrogels play versatile roles including as support media, sieving matrixes, affinity scaffolds, and compositions of molecularly imprinting polymers. Recently, the study of hydrogels has been advancing with unprecedented speed, and the application of hydrogels in separation science has brought new opportunities and possible breakthroughs. A good understanding about the roles and effects of the material is essential for hydrogel applications. This review summarizes the hydrogels that has been described in various modes of electrophoretic separations, including isoelectric focusing gel electrophoresis (IEFGE), isotachophoresis (ITP), gel electrophoresis and affinity gel electrophoresis (AGE). As microchip electrophoresis (ME) is one of the future trends in electrophoresis, thought provoking studies related to hydrogels in ME are also introduced. Novel hydrogels and methods that improve separation performance, facilitate the experimental operation process, allow for rapid analysis, and promote the integration to microfluidic devices are highlighted.

Specific Analysis of α-2,3-Sialylated N-Glycan Linkage Isomers by Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

Sialylated N-glycan isomers with α-2,3 and α-2,6 linkages play crucial and distinctive roles in diverse physiological and pathological processes. Changes of α-2,3-linked sialic acids in sialylated N-glycans are especially important in monitoring the initiation and progression of diseases. However, the specific analysis of α-2,3-sialylated N-glycan linkage isomers remains challenging due to their extremely low abundance and technical limitations in separation and detection. Herein, we designed an integrated strategy that combines linkage-specific derivatization and a charge-sensitive separation method based on microfluidic chip capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (microchip CE-MS) for specific analysis of α-2,3-sialylated N-glycan linkage isomers for the first time. The α-2,6- and α-2,3-sialic acids were selectively labeled with methylamine (MA) and N,N-dimethylethylenediamine (DMEN), respectively, which selectively makes α-2,3-sialylated N-glycans positively charged and realizes online purification, concentration, and discrimination of α-2,3-sialylated N-glycans from other N-glycans in microchip CE-MS. This new approach was demonstrated with standard multisialylated N-glycans, and it was found that only the α-2,3-sialylated N-glycans migrated and were detected in order according to the number of α-2,3-sialic acids. Finally, this strategy was successfully applied in highly sensitive profiling and reproducible quantitation of the serum α-2,3-sialylated N-glycome from ovarian cancer (OC) patients, where 7 of 33 detected α-2,3-sialylated N-glycans significantly changed in the OC group compared with healthy controls.