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Biomedical subjects

H R Morris

Publications and source records attributed to H R Morris.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Meningococcal pilin: a glycoprotein substituted with digalactosyl 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyhexose.

Neisseria meningitidis pili are filamentous protein structures that are essential adhesins in capsulate bacteria. Pili of adhesion variants of meningococcal strain C311 contain glycosyl residues on pilin (PilE), their major structural subunit. Despite the presence of three potential N-linked glycosylation sites, none appears to be occupied in these pilins. Instead, a novel O-linked trisaccharide substituent, not previously found as a constituent of glycoproteins, is present within a peptide spanning amino acid residues 45 to 73 of the PilE molecule. This structure contains a terminal 1-4-linked digalactose moiety covalently linked to a 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyhexose sugar which is directly attached to pilin. Pilins derived from galactose epimerase (galE) mutants lack the digalactosyl moiety, but retain the diacetamidotrideoxyhexose substitution. Both parental (#3) pilins and those derived from a hyper-adherent variant (#16) contained identical sugar substitutions in this region of pilin, and galE mutants of #3 were similar to the parental phenotype in their adherence to host cells. These studies have confirmed our previous observations that meningococcal pili are glycosylated and provided the first structural evidence for the presence of covalently linked carbohydrate on pili. In addition, they have revealed a completely novel protein/saccharide linkage.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Structural studies of a novel type of pentaantennary large glycan unit in the fertilization-associated carbohydrate-rich glycopeptide isolated from the fertilized eggs of Oryzias latipes.

In a previous report (Kitajima, K., Inoue, S., and Inoue, Y. (1989) Dev. Biol. 132, 544-553), we found the presence of a heavily glycosylated polyprotein, "H-hyosophorin," isolated from the unfertilized eggs of Oryzias latipes. We now report our detailed analysis of the structure of the N-glycan chain in L-hyosophorin, the smallest repeating unit of H-hyosophorin, which was isolated from the fertilized eggs of O. latipes and formed from H-hyosophorin upon fertilization. The N-glycan structures were defined by a combination of compositional analysis, methylation analysis, selective chemical degradation (i.e. mild methanolysis, periodate-Smith degradation, and hydrazinolysis-nitrous acid deamination), enzymatic (endo-beta-galactosidase, peptide:N-glycanase, and Newcastle disease virus sialidase) digestion, and instrumental analyses (one- and two-dimensional proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry) which revealed novel and unique features: (a) the presence of highly branched poly-N-acetylactosamino pentaantennary structures; (b) the presence of a beta-galactosylated Lewis X antigenic epitope, Gal beta 1-->4 Gal beta 1-->4 (Fuc alpha 1-->3) GlcNAc beta 1-->; (c) the presence of a beta-galactosylated sialyl Lewis X structure, Gal beta 1-->4 (Neu5Ac alpha 2-->3) Gal beta 1-->4(Fuc alpha 1-->3) GlcNAc beta 1-->; (d) the presence of Gal beta 1-->4 Gal beta 1--> and Gal beta 1--> 4Gal beta 1-->4Gal beta 1--> as the major and minor groupings, respectively; and (e) the presence of the branched Gal residues, -->4GlcNAc beta 1-->3(Gal beta 1-->4) Gal beta 1-->. This study represents the first detailed investigation regarding the nature of highly branched complex asparagine-linked pentaantennary glycans in glycoproteins. The unique expression of such bulky multiantennary glycan units on proteins could be essential during early embryogenesis.

Animals↗

Chondroitinase ABC-resistant sulfated trisaccharides isolated from digests of chondroitin/dermatan sulfate chains.

Four kinds of sulfated trisaccharides resistant to chondroitinase ABC were isolated after chondroitinase B or ABC treatment of dermatan sulfate or various chondroitin sulfate isomers, respectively. Their composition was determined by chemical analysis and fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry. Their structures were characterized by chondroitinase ACII digestion in conjunction with HPLC, and 500-MHz one- and two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy. All the four trisaccharides have in common the core saccharide sequence, alpha-L-delta 4,5HexpA-(1-->3)-beta-D-GalpNAc-(1-->4)-D-GlcpA. A monosulfated component isolated from shark scapular cartilage chondroitin sulfate C or bovine aorta dermatan sulfate was elucidated as alpha-L-delta 4,5HexpA-(1-->3)-beta-D-GalpNAc6SO3(-)-(1-->4)-D-GlcpA or alpha-L-delta 4,5HexpA-(1-->3)-beta-D-GalpNAc4SO3(-)-(1-->4)-D-GlcpA , respectively. A disulfated component obtained from shark scapular cartilage chondroitin sulfate C or squid cartilage chondroitin sulfate E was identified as alpha-L-delta 4,5HexpA2SO3(-)-(1-->3)-beta-D-GalpNAc6SO3(-)-(1-->4)-D-G lcpA or alpha-L-delta 4,5HexpA-(1-->3)-beta-D-GalpNAc4SO3(-)6SO3(-)-(1-->4)- D-GlcpA, respectively. These trisaccharides are derived from the reducing termini of the parent polysaccharides. Some of the trisaccharides could be derived from the reducing termini exposed by the peeling reaction during the alkaline treatment while some others may represent the cleavage sites exposed by tissue endo-beta-D-glucuronidase(s), indicating the presence of such enzyme(s) which may release chondroitin/dermatan sulfate fragments from proteoglycans.

Animals↗

Detection of 4'-phosphopantetheine at the thioester binding site for L-valine of gramicidinS synthetase 2.

Biosynthesis of gramicidinS in Bacillus brevis is catalysed by a multienzyme system consisting of two multifunctional proteins, gramicidinS synthetase 1 and 2 codified by the grsA and grsB genes, respectively. GramicidinS synthetase 2 shows a modular architecture of four amino acid-activating domains each containing a thioester binding motif LGG H/D S L/I highly conserved in its C-terminal region, as demonstrated by sequence analysis of the grsB gene [W. Schlumbohm et al. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 23135-23141]. This multienzyme was specifically labeled at the thioester binding site of L-valine with [3H]N-ethylmaleimide using a substrate protection technique. After enzymatic digestion a labeled active site peptide was isolated in pure form by multistep methodology. This fragment was identified by gas-phase sequencing as the active site peptide of the thiotemplate site for L-Val by comparison with the grsB gene sequence. By mass spectrometry in combination with amino acid analysis it was demonstrated that a 4'-phosphopantetheine carrier was attached to the active serine in this motif. Our results give evidence that multiple peripheral 4'-phosphopantetheine carriers are involved in the formation of gramicidinS in contrast to a central carrier arm as assumed in the original version of the thiotemplate mechanism. A 'Multiple Carrier Model' of nonribosomal peptide biosynthesis is proposed.

Amino Acid Isomerases↗

O-glycosylation mimics N-glycosylation in the 16-kDa fragment of bovine pro-opiomelanocortin. The major O-glycan attached to Thr-45 carries SO4-4GalNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-, which is the archetypal non-reducing epitope in the N-glycans of pituitary glycohormones.

The NH2-terminal domain of pro-opiomelanocortin, designated as the 16-kDa fragment, is highly conserved throughout the vertebrate family and is likely therefore to have an important functional role. Bovine 16-kDa fragment is a 77- residue glycopeptide, which has been found to be glycosylated at threonine 45 and asparagine 65. Available evidence suggests that glycoforms lacking glycans at the O-linked site are processed in the intermediate pituitary at -Arg49-Lys50- to give the residue 1-49 amino-terminal peptide and a carboxyl-terminal glycopeptide referred to as Lys1 gamma 3-melanotropin. Glycoforms carrying O-glycans remain unprocessed in the intermediate pituitary. Thus O-glycosylation is likely to play an important role in controlling the fate of the NH2-terminal portion of pro-opiomelanocortin, thereby affecting the biological events that are influenced by peptides and glycopeptides derived from this domain. In a recent study (Siciliano, R. A., Morris, H. R., McDowell, R. A., Azadi, P., Rogers, M. E., Bennett, H. P. J., and Dell, A. (1993) Glycobiology 3, 225-239), we sequenced the N-glycans attached to Asn-65 of bovine 16-kDa fragment and demonstrated that the acidic components contain, in addition to neutral antennae, a single SO4-4GalNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1- antenna, which is characteristic of the pituitary glycohormone N-glycans (Baenziger, J. U., and Green, E. D. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 947, 287-306). We now report the structural characterization of the O-linked oligosaccharides found in bovine 16-kDa fragment. The major component, which constitutes about 80% of the O-glycan population, is a novel sulfated tetrasaccharide, which carries the same sulfated epitope as the N-glycans. This is the first time that the SO4-4GalNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1- moiety has been observed in O-glycans, and it raises the interesting possibility that the beta-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase responsible for the addition of N-acetylgalactosamine to the pituitary glycohormones (Smith, P. L., and Baenziger, J. U. (1988) Science, 242, 930-933) might be capable of glycosylating both N- and O-linked acceptors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

New pyruvylated, glycosylated acyltrehaloses from Mycobacterium smegmatis strains, and their implications for phage resistance in mycobacteria.

Phage resistance and apparent lysogenization of Mycobacterium smegmatis due to infection with mycobacteriophage D29 results in the emergence of new variations of the pyruvylated, acylated trehaloses described by Saadat and Ballou, J. Biol. Chem. 258 (1983) 1813-1818. Thin-layer chromatography of the glycolipids from two strains of phage-resistant M. smegmatis (mc(2)22 and mc(2)11) and comparison with those from phage-sensitive strains revealed a new, more mobile glycolipid in each case. The structures of these acyltrehalose-containing lipooligosaccharides were elucidated by a combination of gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, methylation analysis, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The glycolipid from M. smegmatis mc(2)22 is beta-D-Glcp-(1-->3)-4,6-O-(1-methoxycarbonylethylidene)-beta-D-Glc p-(1-->4)- beta-D-Glcp-(1-->6)-2-O-acyl-alpha-D-Glcp-(<==>1)-3,4-O-acyl-alpha-D-Glc p and that from M. smegmatis mc(2)11 is 4,6-O-(1-methoxycarbonylethylidene)-3-O-Me-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->3)-4,6 -O- (1-methoxycarbonylethylidene)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-- >6)-2-O-acyl- alpha-D-Glcp-(1<==>1)-3,4-di-O-acyl-alpha-D-Glcp. These differ from the original pyruvylated glycolipids of Saadat and Ballou in the extent of their O-acylation and O-methylation. The findings are the first example of the definition of a chemical basis for phage resistance and presumed lysogeny in mycobacteria, and show parallels to related changes in gram-negative enteric bacteria.

Acylation↗

Characterization of the specific antigenicity of representatives of M. senegalense and related bacteria.

Representative strains of M. senegalense and an unusual strain, labelled M. farcinogenes (M280) were examined by thin-layer chromatography for the presence of characteristic surface glycolipids. In the case of M. farcinogenes M280 and M. senegalense M264, the glycolipids were of the alkali-labile acyltrehalose lipooligosaccharide (LOS) class of antigens, whereas M. senegalense M263 was found to contain the alkali-stable glycopeptidolipids (GPL). Through a combination of 1H-NMR, methylation analysis, FAB/MS, and other analytical techniques, the structures of these glycolipids were deduced. The LOS glycolipids were found to be similar in structure to the characteristic glucosyltrehalose-based glycolipids isolated previously from clinical isolates of M. fortuitum, but distinct from the diacyltrehaloses characteristic of the type strain of M fortuitum. The glycopeptidolipids from M. senegalense M263 were closely similar to those characterized previously from M.

Animals↗

Structural studies on the tri- and tetrasaccharides isolated from porcine intestinal heparin and characterization of heparinase/heparitinases using them as substrates.

We prepared a series of oligosaccharides from porcine intestinal heparin after extensive digestion with a mixture of Flavobacterium heparinase as well as heparitinases I and II. Previously, we reported the structures of the two glycoserines derived from the carbohydrate-protein linkage region [Sugahara et al., J. Biol. Chem., 267, 1528-1533 (1992)] and three tetrasaccharides derived from the antithrombin III-binding site [Yamada et al., J. Biol. Chem., 268, 4780-4787 (1993)]. In this study, we determined the structures of 10 other tetrasaccharides and a trisaccharide by enzymatic digestion, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and 500-MHz 1H NMR spectroscopy. These tetrasaccharides share the common disulphated structure, delta HexA alpha 1-4GlcN(N-sulphate)alpha 1-4IdoA(2-sulphate)alpha 1-4GlcN (where HexA is hexuronic acid and IdoA is L-iduronic acid), and their structural variations are based upon the positions of additional sulphate groups. Eight among the 10 have never been isolated as discrete structures. The structure of the trisaccharide is GlcN(N-sulphate)alpha 1-4IdoA(2-sulphate) alpha 1-4GlcN(N,6-disulphate) and is derived from the non-reducing terminus of heparin chains. This structure may represent the terminus of a biosynthetically formed native heparin chain or a newly formed non-reducing terminus exposed by a tissue endo-beta-glucuronidase which may be involved in the intracellular post-synthetic fragmentation of macromolecular heparin. The 11 structures characterized in the present study and 6 additional tetrasaccharides were used to investigate the substrate specificities of heparinase, as well as heparitinases I and II. The results indicate that modification of the adjacent glucosamine on the reducing side of the disaccharide cleavage site influences the enzymatic action of the lyases, whereas the adjacent uronic acid on the non-reducing side is not recognized by these enzymes.

Animals↗

Two different glycosyltransferase defects that result in GalNAc alpha-O-peptide (Tn) expression.

This study shows for the first time that different glycosyltransferase defects in the biosynthesis of O-linked oligosaccharides give rise to the same GalNAc alpha-O-Ser/Thr determinant on Tn erythrocytes and colorectal carcinoma cells. The O-linked oligosaccharides isolated from the glycophorins of Tn erythrocytes contained predominantly alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine-O-Ser/Thr (Tn antigen) and sialyl-Tn. A marked reduction in normal sialylated oligosaccharides was also observed. Monoclonal antibody BRIC 111 raised against Tn erythrocytes reacted with both Tn erythrocytes and colorectal carcinoma tissues. Weak staining was detected in the supranuclear area and at the surface membranes in normal colorectal cells, but was absent from goblet cell vesicles. An increase in supranuclear staining over controls was found in tumour tissue and in the majority of resection margin specimens. The highest levels of staining were present in transitional mucosa, adjacent to the tumours where goblet vesicles were also positive. Glycosylation defects in the same patients were further studied by determination of the activity of glycosyltransferases in mucosal tissue from control and cancer patients. The reduction in or loss of beta 1-3 N-acetylglucosaminyl transferase activity to GalNAc-peptide in asialo-ovine submaxillary gland glycoprotein was detected by direct assay and by isolation of the oligosaccharides from the incubation products. No differences in N-acetylglucosaminyl-, galactosyl- or sialyl-transfer to Gal beta 1-3GalNAc in antifreeze glycoprotein or in sialyl transferase to asialo-ovine submaxillary gland glycoprotein were detected. Our study shows that the GalNAc alpha-O-Ser/Thr determinant on Tn erythrocytes and in colorectal carcinoma results from different glycosyltransferase defects in separate biosynthetic pathways for haematopoietic and epithelial tissues.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗

Structural studies on the oligosaccharides isolated from bovine kidney heparan sulphate and characterization of bacterial heparitinases used as substrates.

We prepared a series of oligosaccharides from commercial bovine kidney heparan sulphate after limited digestion with heparitinase I from Flavobacterium heparinum, and determined the structures of eight tetrasaccharides and a hexasaccharide by enzymatic analysis, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and 500 MHz 1H NMR spectroscopy. The tetrasaccharides share the common core structure delta 4,5HexA alpha 1-4GlcN alpha 1-4HexA1-4GlcN (where delta 4,5HexA is 4-deoxy-alpha-L-threo-hex-4-enopyranosyluronic acid and HexA is hexuronic acid), with zero, one or two sulphate groups. Seven of them contain non-sulphated glucuronic or iduronic acid, and the other, 2-O-sulphated iduronic acid at the internal position. Although they contain ordinary structures which should be widely distributed in the relatively low-sulphated region of heparan sulphate, five of the tetrasaccharides were isolated for the first time as discrete structures. The structure of the hexasaccharide was determined as delta 4,5HexA alpha 1-4GlcNAc alpha 1-4GlcA beta 1-3Gal beta 1-3Gal beta-1-4 Xyl and is derived from the carbohydrate-protein linkage region of the heparan sulphate chains. The hexasaccharide seems to have been released by the alkaline treatment used to prepare the heparan sulphate. The Gal residues were non-sulphated as are those in the porcine intestinal heparin chains, but in contrast to the sulphated Gal structures previously demonstrated in the carbohydrate-protein linkage region of chondroitin sulphate chains. These oligosaccharides were used to investigate the substrate specificity of heparitinases I and II from F. heparinum. The results revealed that heparitinase I cleaves hexosaminidic bonds linked to non-sulphated glucuronic or iduronic acid residues. The glucosaminidic linkage of the hexasaccharide was sensitive to heparitinase I, but resistant to heparitinase II, demonstrating the differential specificity of these enzymes towards the carbohydrate-protein linkage region.

Animals↗

Glycans as targets for monoclonal antibodies that protect rats against Trichinella spiralis.

We have investigated the role of glycans on Trichinella spiralis antigens in recognition by rat monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) which protect rat pups against challenge with the parasite. In pups born to infected dams or pups passively immunized with mAbs, antibodies eliminate a challenge dose from the intestine within hours ('rapid expulsion'). Because such dramatic protection can be afforded by mAbs, we have sought to characterize the parasite antigens they target. In this report we show that protective antibodies were unable to bind excretory/secretory (ES) antigens deglycosylated with trifluoromethanesulphonic acid (TFMS). In addition, oligosaccharides isolated from glycoproteins by alkaline hydrolysis or peptide: N glycosidase F (PNGase F) digestion were bound by protective, but not non-protective, mAbs. Glycans affinity purified with protective mAb 9D bound to all but one protective mAb. These antibodies have been shown previously to bind to the surfaces of intact larvae, indicating that the glycan is exposed on the parasite surface. Candidate glycans that may be involved in binding protective mAbs have unusual tri- and tetra-antennary structures with terminal tyvelose moieties (Reason et al., Glycobiology, 4, 000-000, 1994). Coating of the larval surface with such glycans may serve to protect the parasite and its secreted products from enzymatic attack as the parasite travels to and resides in its epithelial niche.

Animals↗

Novel tyvelose-containing tri- and tetra-antennary N-glycans in the immunodominant antigens of the intracellular parasite Trichinella spiralis.

The larval stage of the intestinal nematode, Trichinella spiralis, secretes and displays on its cuticle a number of antigenically cross-reactive glycoproteins. These so-called TSL-1 antigens induce a powerful antibody response in parasitized animals. In rats, anti-TSL-1 antibodies mediate a protective immunity that expels invading larvae from the intestine. The vast majority of anti-TSL-1 antibodies are specific for glycans. Although the biological functions of TSL-1 antigens are not known, the powerful effect of glycan-specific antibodies on the intestinal survival of T. spiralis suggests that they play an important role in parasite establishment. Little is known about the structures of the glycans present on the TSL-1 glycoproteins. Recent studies have suggested, however, that the antigens contain very unusual glycans (Wisnewski, N., McNeil, M., Grieve, R.B. and Wassom, D.L., Mol. Biochem. Parasitol., 61, 25-36, 1993). Sugar and linkage analysis of the combined secreted products unexpectedly showed that a major terminal sugar is tyvelose (3,6-dideoxy-D-arabino-hexose; Tyv) which has previously been found only in certain gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharides. In this paper, we report the first rigorous structural study of oligosaccharides released from TSL-1 antigens by peptide N-glycosidase F digestion. Using strategies based on fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB-MS), we have discovered a novel family of tri- and tetra-antennary N-glycans whose antennae are comprised of the tyvelose-capped structure: Tyv1,3GalNAc beta 1,4(Fuc alpha 1,3)GlcNAc beta 1-. Thus a major population of TSL-1 glycans contains clusters of hydrophobic terminal structures which are likely to be highly immunogenic.

Animals↗

Effect of hemicholinium-3 on the hypothalamic concentration of a cytochemically detectable glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-stimulating substance.

Hypothalamus and plasma of salt-loaded rats, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and hypertensive reduced renal mass rats (RRM), and the plasma of patients with essential hypertension and of Milan hypertensive rats contain an increased concentration of a cytochemically detectable glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-stimulating substance that has properties similar to that of a possible choline derivative di-methyl methylene immonium ion. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of hemicholinium-3 (HC-3) selectively blocks high-affinity neuronal choline uptake, inhibits brain acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis, and decreases arterial pressure in SHR through an inhibiting effect on hypothalamic cholinergic function. The experiments were performed to study the effect of centrally administered HC-3 on the content of the cytochemically detectable cholinelike substance in hypothalamus and plasma of SHR. HC-3 or saline was infused into the lateral cerebral ventricle for 6 days with a minipump in 14 SHR. On day 7, the hypothalamic and plasma concentration of the cytochemically detectable substance was significantly reduced in rats that received HC-3. The hypothalamic concentration was 225 +/- 95.6 x 10(8) G6PD U per hypothalamus (range 38.2-775) in SHR that received saline and 1.037 +/- 0.45 x 10(8) G6PD U (range 0.112-3.61) (p < 0.05) in SHR that received HC-3. The respective plasma concentrations were 284.9 +/- 26 U/ml (range 192-374) and 72.7 +/- 14.7 U/ml (range 24-119) (p < 0.05). The findings are consistent with the physicochemical evidence, which suggests that the cytochemically detectable substance is a choline derivative.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acetylcholine↗

Trehalose-containing lipooligosaccharides of Mycobacterium gordonae: presence of a mono-O-methyltetra-O-acyltrehalose "core" and branching in the oligosaccharide backbone.

Past evidence has indicated that Mycobacterium gordonae, as isolated from soil and as an occasional opportunistic pathogen, exists as a serocomplex. We now demonstrate that the basis of seroreactivity and diversity is a novel series of alkali-labile, trehalose-containing lipooligosaccharides (LOS). The structures from two strains were established by per-O-methylation, partial acid hydrolysis, infrared and high-field NMR spectroscopy, electron-impact MS, and fast atom bombardment/mass spectrometry of the native lipooligosaccharides and hydrolysis products. The structure of the major lipooligosaccharide, LOS-I, of M. gordonae strain 989 was defined as 2-O-CH3-4-O-CH3CO-alpha-L-Fucp-(1-->3)- beta-D-Glcp-(1-->3)-2-O-CH3-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->3)-[beta-D-Xylp++ +-(1-->2)-]- alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->3)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->3)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->3 )-6-O- CH3-alpha-D-Glcp-(1<-->1)-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acyl-alpha-D-Glcp, which was further glycosylated at C-3 of the terminal 2-O-CH3-4-O-CH3CO-alpha-L-Fucp by an incompletely defined N-acyl derivative of 4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-2,3-di-O-CH3-Galp. The structure of the major lipooligosaccharide, LOS-I, of a second strain of M. gordonae (strain 990) was defined as alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->2)-3-O-CH3-alpha-L-Rhap- (1-->3)-[beta-D-Xylp-(1-->2)-]-alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->3)-beta-D-G lcp- (1-->3)[beta-D-Xylp-(1-->2)-]-alpha-L-Rhap- (1-->3)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->3)-beta-D-Glcp-(1-->3)-alpha-L-Rhap-(1--> 3)-6-O-CH3- alpha-D-Glcp-(1<-->1)-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acyl-alpha-D-Glcp. The other minor LOSs from both strains were also defined. Both families of LOSs from the two strains contain a novel mono-6'-O-CH3-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acyltrehalose unit, representing the first example of such a unit among the LOSs isolated to date from mycobacteria. Also, the more polar antigenic products, LOS-I, -II', -II", and -III from M. gordonae 989 and LOS-I, -II, and -II' from M. gordonae 990, are characterized by branching of the oligosaccharide backbone, the first instance of sugar branching in these products. In the case of LOS-I and -III from M. gordonae 989, the branch consists of a terminal (t)-beta-D-Xylp unit, whereas in LOS-II' and -II", they are (t)-3-O-CH3-beta-D-Xylp and (t)-alpha-D-Araf, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Acylation↗

FABMS/derivatisation strategies for the analysis of heparin-derived oligosaccharides.

Derivatisation/FABMS strategies applicable to the structure analysis of low microgram quantities of heparin-derived oligosaccharides are described. Negative and positive FAB data from permethyl derivatives and positive FAB data from the products of subsequent methanolysis are reported for sulfated tetrasaccharides prepared by nitrous acid degradation of heparin. The preparation and FAB behaviour of acetylated derivatives of sulfated oligosaccharides are described for the first time, and the stability of the sulfate groups to base-catalysed acetylation is demonstrated. The acetylation/FABMS methodology, which yields high quality data, shows promise for the characterisation of a wide range of sulfated glycoconjugates.

Acetylation↗

Studies on the carbohydrate moiety and on the biosynthesis of rat C-reactive protein.

Rat C-reactive protein (CRP) is a pentameric glycoprotein composed of five apparently identical monomers, two of which form a disulfide-linked dimer (Rasosouli, M., Sambasivam, H., Azadi, P., Dell, A., Morris, H. R., Nagpurkar, A., Mookerjea, S., and Murray, R. K. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 2947-2954). In this study, the nature of the oligosaccharide chain of rat CRP was investigated by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry (FAB-MS), and general features of its biosynthetic pathway were also analyzed. FAB-MS, electrospray-mass spectrometry, and linkage analysis demonstrated that each monomer of rat CRP contained one oligosaccharide chain, predominantly a disialylated biantennary structure, attached to Asn-128. The biosynthesis of rat CRP was studied by immunoprecipitation of CRP synthesized in vitro and by cultured hepatocytes. The results revealed that each monomer of rat CRP was synthesized individually as a single-chain precursor with a cleavable signal sequence. The translocated species was sensitive to digestion by endoglycosidase H (endo H), indicating that it possessed a high mannose oligosaccharide. Rat CRP acquired the ability to bind to phosphorylcholine-Sepharose and to form the dimeric and oligomeric species prior to acquiring resistance to endo H. Studies using tunicamycin revealed that the N-linked oligosaccharide present in rat CRP was not required for formation of its dimeric component, oligomerization, ability to bind to phosphorylcholine, or secretion. The non-glycosylated rat CRP, however, was still able to bind to phosphorylcholine-Sepharose and to be secreted by hepatocytes.

Animals↗