Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Disaccharides”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,297 records · Page 72Linked to original sources

Liver heparan sulfate structure. A novel molecular design.

The structure of rat liver heparan sulfate (HS) has been investigated using a combination of (a) chain scission with specific reagents, (b) disaccharide compositional analysis, and (c) end-referenced sequence analysis of the proximal, protein-linked region of the chain. This study reveals that the liver synthesizes a highly sulfated HS species (1.34 sulfates/disaccharide), particularly high in N-sulfation (60%) and 2-O-sulfate content (36%). Approximately half of the latter is found in trisulfated disaccharides, i.e. IdceA(2-OSO3) alpha 1-4GlcNSO3 (6-OSO3). End-referencing methodology established the existence of an extended, unmodified heparan (GlcUA beta 1-4GlcNAc) sequence, 8-11 disaccharides in length, attached to the linkage tetrasaccharide, similar to that found in a number of other HS species. Directly following this is a mixed HexUA1-4GlcNR(6-OSO3) (where GlcNR represents alpha-D-glucosamine with an unspecified N-substituent)-containing sequence of variable length, culminating in the appearance of the first IdceA(2-OSO3) residue approximately 20 disaccharides from the linkage region, i.e. approximately 40% along the length of the chain. The distal 60% of the polysaccharide is highly sulfated (approximately 2 sulfates/disaccharide) and mainly comprises three heparin-like domains, highly enriched in IdceA(2-OSO3) residues. Overall, liver HS qualifies as an extreme member of the HS family, with a considerable proportion of heparin-like structure asymmetrically concentrated to the distal part of the chain.

Animals↗

[Synthesis of oligosaccharides related to the HNK-1 antigen. Synthesis of selectively protected allyl-3-o-methyl(beta-D- glucopyranosyl)uronate-beta-D-galactopyranoside].

The glycosylation of several mono- and dihydroxyl glycosyl acceptors based on allyl beta-D-galactopyranoside with completely acylated glucuronyl bromides under the Helferich reaction conditions was studied in order to develop a method for the preparative synthesis of selectively protected disaccharide beta-D-GlcA-(1-->3)-beta-D-Gal in a form that can be used for further preparation of corresponding glycosyl donors and spacerated derivatives. We found that 1,2-orthoesters were the major primary products of the reaction, and their further conversion into isomeric glycosides depended on pH and can be regulated by the type of molecular sieves used. When Acid Washed Molecular Sieves AW 300 were used, glycosides were predominantly synthesized. No selective formation of the (1-->3)-bound disaccharide was observed upon glycosylation of glycosyl acceptors with 2,3- and 3,4-diol groupings. This (1-->3)-bound disaccharide was most efficiently synthesized by glycosylation of allyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-2-O-benzoyl-beta-D-galactopyranoside with pivaloylated glucuronyl bromide. With acetylated or benzoylated glucuronyl bromides or with pivaloyl glucuronyl imidate, this galactoside can also be glycosylated but with a lower yield of the target (1-->3)-bound disaccharide and lower glycosylation regioselectivity.

Allyl Compounds↗

Mechanisms of protection of cationic lipid-DNA complexes during lyophilization.

Gene therapy using nonviral vectors offers advantages over viral methods. However, the instability of aqueous suspensions of cationic lipid-DNA complexes is a major problem that must be overcome to develop this therapeutic modality on a pharmaceutical scale. Disaccharides have been reported to protect lipid-DNA complexes during lyophilization, and recovery of transfection correlates with the retention of particle size. However, the mechanism by which disaccharides achieve this protection is not known. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective mechanism by lyophilizing cationic lipid-DNA complexes with a variety of solutes that have different physical behaviors during the lyophilization process. In agreement with previous studies, disaccharides conferred protection to lipid-DNA complexes. By contrast, a large polymeric sugar, hydroxyethyl starch, did not protect as well. The level of protection by additives, such as mannitol, that crystallized during lyophilization was also less than that of the disaccharides, but some protection was nonetheless observed. These data suggest that water replacement plays a significant role in protecting complexes during lyophilization. A second mechanism that prevents aggregation by diluting complexes within freeze-concentrated solutions or dried cakes may also contribute to protection. Sample vitrification did not correlate with maintenance of transfection efficiency. Elucidation of the mechanism(s) by which cationic lipid-DNA complexes are protected during lyophilization will permit a rational approach to the development of stable, lyophilized formulations.

Animals↗

Molecular dynamics simulation of Lewis blood groups and related oligosaccharides.

Molecular dynamics simulations without explicit inclusion of solvent molecules have been performed to study the motions of Lewisa and Lewisb blood group oligosaccharides, and two blood group A tetrasaccharides having type I and type II core chains. The blood group H trisaccharide has also been studied and compared with the blood group A type II core chain. The potential energy surface developed by Rasmussen and co-workers was used with the molecular mechanics code CHARMM. The lowest energy minima of the component disaccharide fragments were obtained from conformational energy mapping. The lowest energy minima of these disaccharide fragments were used to build the tri- and tetrasaccharides that were further minimized before the actual heating/equilibration and dynamics simulations. The trajectories of the disaccharide fragments, e.g., Fuc alpha- (1----4)GlcNAc, Gal beta-(1----4)GlcNAc, etc., show transitions among various minima. However, the oligosaccharides were found to be dynamically stable and no transitions to other minimum energy conformations were observed in the time series of the glycosidic dihedral angles even during trajectories as long as 300 ps. The stable conformations of the glycosidic linkages in the oligosaccharides are not necessarily the same as the minimum energy conformation of the corresponding isolated disaccharides. The average fluctuations of the glycosidic angles in the oligosaccharides were well within the range of +/- 15 degrees. The results of these trajectory calculations were consistent with the relatively rigid single-conformation models derived for these oligosaccharides from 1H-nmr data.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Purity of glycosaminoglycan-related compounds using capillary electrophoresis.

High performance capillary electrophoresis was used to determine impurities in glycosaminoglycans. The counterion of glycosaminoglycans was analyzed with indirect UV-detection using a 40 mM 4-aminopyridine buffer. Calcium, lithium, potassium and sodium could be resolved. A linear correlation between the area under the curve and the concentration of sodium (r2 = 0.98) and calcium (r2 = 0.99) was found. Using enzymatic depolymerization, chondroitin sulfates were cleaved to disaccharides. The resulting disaccharides, with the structure 4-deoxy-alpha-L-threo-hex-4-enopyranosyl uronic acid (delta UA) 2 x (1-->3)-D-GalNY6X (X = H, sulfate and Y = acetyl, sulfate) for dermatan sulfate, were detected selectively at 230 nm using capillary electrophoresis. Dermatan sulfate disaccharides were analyzed using a 50 cm long fused silica capillary (75 microns ID). The buffer used was 10 mM sodium tetraborate and 50 mM SDS, pH 8.8. The detection was at 230 nm. Using the main peak delta UA (1-->3)-D-GalNAc4S as standard, between 1 and 80% dermatan sulfate in heparin preparations were analyzed. The disaccharide showed a linear correlation of the peak area versus the concentration with a correlation coefficient r2 = 0.98. The methods are useful in characterizing the identity and concentration of the counterion of glycosaminoglycans after chondroitinase degradation.

Animals↗

Chemical microdetermination of heparin in plasma.

A new, simple, and highly sensitive method for the determination of heparin has been established. Heparin was first converted into unsaturated disaccharides through the action of heparin lyases I, II, and III. A major trisulfated unsaturated disaccharide product results, consistent with structural analysis of a number of pharmaceutical heparins using one- and two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy. This disaccharide was analyzed by HPLC using fluorometric postcolumn derivatization. The correlation between the amount of this trisulfated unsaturated disaccharide and anticoagulant activity of heparin as measured by anti-IIa was determined. The analysis of these pharmaceutical heparins showed a linear correlation between both HPLC and bioassay. This HPLC method was then applied to a pharmacokinetic study of heparin intravenously administered to rabbits.

Animals↗

A fluorescence assay for alpha-1,2-mannosidases involved in glycoprotein processing reactions.

A highly specific, sensitive, and convenient fluorescence assay for alpha-1,2-mannosidases involved in glycoprotein processing reactions is described. The assay utilizes a coupled enzyme system to determine the amount of free mannose liberated from the disaccharide O-methyl-2-O-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside by the alpha-1,2-mannosidase. The assay was used to determine the substrate specificity of a calcium ion-activated alpha-1,2-mannosidase purified from rabbit liver microsomes. The microsomal mannosidase was specific for hydrolysis of the alpha-1,2 linkage. The mannosyl linkages in alpha-1,3- and alpha-1,6-linked methyl-disaccharides, in methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranoside, and in yeast mannan were hydrolyzed at rates of 2% or less than that noted with the alpha-1,2-linked disaccharide. Mannosidase activity was linear with time and was proportional to enzyme concentration. The Km for the alpha-1,2-linked methyl-disaccharide is 0.5 mM.

Animals↗

Cationic dye binding by hyaluronate fragments: dependence on hyaluronate chain length.

Sodium hyaluronate, digested with bovine testicular hyaluronidase, yielded a mixture of oligosaccharides with identical repeating disaccharide structures and differing molecular weights. The oligosaccharides were separated into a ladder-like series of bands by electrophoresis on a 10% polyacrylamide gel matrix. Coelectrophoresis of purified oligosaccharides has established that adjacent bands differ in chain length by one disaccharide unit. This procedure formed the basis for a rapid screening method in which the binding of cationic dyes by hyaluronate oligosaccharides may be assayed. As a function of chain length, the oligosaccharides showed a marked change in dye binding. Species containing less than seven repeating disaccharide units are not detected by any dye tested, even at very high sample loads. Larger oligosaccharides show an increase in dye binding. The chain length at which constant maximal dye binding is reached depends on the dye structure and solvent conditions, varying from approximately 12 to 30 disaccharide units. The hyaluronate fragments of sufficient chain length to duplicate polymer behavior should be useful models for the study of hyaluronate structure and interactions in solution.

Alcian Blue↗

Alkali-labile oligosaccharides from glycoproteins of different erythrocyte and milk fat globule membranes.

Phenol extraction of horse, sheep, cow, pig and human erythrocyte membranes and human milk fat globule membranes gave glycoprotein fractions, all of which were shown by gas chromatography to contain the reduced disaccharide beta-D-galactosyl (1-3)-N-acetyl-D-galactosaminital after treatment with alkaline borohydride. Cow and pig erythrocyte membrane glycoproteins were found however to contain much lower amounts than the erythrocyte membrane glycoproteins of the other species tested. After gel filtration, a tetrasaccharide was isolated from horse and sheep glycoproteins containing the disaccharide plus two molecules of sialic acid. Periodate oxidation together with paper chromatography of alkaline degraded fragments showed these two molecules of sialic acid to be linked to positions C3 and C6 of the galactosyl and N-acetylgalactosamine residues respectively. Evidence was obtained for a similar structure from pig and cow erythrocyte glycoproteins and human milk fat globule membrane glycoproteins although the complete structure was not elucidated. In all native glycoprotein fractions, the unsubstituted disaccharide beta-D-galactosyl (1-3)-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine was found to be present to different extents. Haemagglutination inhibition tests against human anti-T serum, Arachis hypogoea and Vicia graminea by desialylated glycoproteins showed the presence of the T-antigen, confirming the chemical findings. Inhibition was found to be proportional to the chemically detected amounts of disaccharide in each fraction. Evidence for a second carbohydrate chain in horse, sheep and human erythrocyte glycoproteins with a sialic acid substituted N-acetylgalactosamine residue as the terminal sequence was obtained using the agglutinin from Helix pomatia.

Animals↗

Synthesis of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-3-O-methyl -D-glucopyranose (N-acetyl-3-O-methyllactosamine) and its benzyl alpha-glycoside.

Benzyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-O-methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (3) was obtained by deacetalation of its 4,6-O-benzylidene derivative (2). Compound 2 was prepared by methylation of benzyl 2-acetamido-4,6-O-benzylidene-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranoside with methyl iodide-silver oxide in N,N-dimethylformamide. Diol 3 was selectively benzoylated and p-toluenesulfonylated, to give the 6-benzoic and 6-p-toluenesulfonic esters (4 and 5, respectively). Displacement of the sulfonyl group of 5 with sodium benzoxide in benzyl alcohol afforded the 6-O-benzyl derivative (6). Glycosylation of 4 with 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl bromide (7) in dichloromethane, in the presence of 1,1,3,3-tetramethylurea, furnished the disaccharide derivative 8. Similar glycosylation of compound 6 with bromide 7 gave the disaccharide derivative 10. O-Deacetylation of 8 and 10 afforded disaccharides 9 and 11. The structure of compound 9 was established by 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy. Hydrogenolysis of the benzyl groups of 11 furnished the disaccharide 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-3-O-methyl-D-glucopyr ano se (N-acetyl-3-O-methyllactosamine).

Amino Sugars↗

One- and two-dimensional 13C-n.m.r. characterization of two series of oligosaccharides derived from porcine intestinal mucosal heparin by degradation with heparinase.

Two tetrasaccharides, two hexasaccharides, and a disaccharide have been purified from heparinase digests of porcine intestinal mucosal heparin in sufficient quantities to permit 13C-n.m.r. characterization of the species. The two tetrasaccharides are the sulfated iduronic acid-containing 4en-HexpA2SO3-(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcpNSO3;6SO3-(1- ---4)-alpha-L- IdopA2SO3-(1----4)-D-GlcpNSO3;6SO3 and the non-sulfated glucuronic acid-containing 4en-HexpA2SO3-(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcpNSO3;6SO3-(1- ---4)-beta-D-GlcpA-(1----4)-D- GlcpNSO3;6SO3. The two hexasaccharides are related to the two tetrasaccharides by the insertion of alpha-linked L-IdopA2SO3-(1----4)-D-GlcpNSO3;6SO3 after the non-reducing end sulfated glucosamine residue. The disaccharide is 4en-HexpA2SO3-(1----4)-alpha-D-GlcpNSO3;6SO3. The disaccharide, together with each of the iduronate-containing oligosaccharides, form one series of related di-, tetra-, and hexa-saccharides, while the disaccharide together with the glucuronate-containing oligosaccharides form a second series. Using inverse detection as a means of increasing sensitivity, two-dimensional n.m.r. 13C-1H heterocorrelation spectra have been obtained for all five oligosaccharides. The use of two-dimensional heterocorrelation n.m.r. spectroscopy offers a much less ambiguous means of making 13C resonance assignments than do traditional one-dimensional methods, while the use of inverse detection gives both greater sensitivity than direct detection, as well as values for the one-bond 13C-1H coupling constants. From a knowledge of the assignments of resonances in the 1H spectra of these species, it has been possible to assign almost all of the 13C resonances of these five oligosaccharides. Some corrections to previously published assignments for the tetrasaccharides have been made. In addition, one-bond 13C-1H coupling constant data have been obtained for all of the anomeric protons.

Animals↗

Structures of the oligosaccharides obtained from the core regions of the lipopolysaccharides of Bradyrhizobium japonicum 61A101c and its symbiotically defective lipopolysaccharide mutant, JS314.

The only core oligosaccharide released from the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Bradyrhizobium japonicum 61A101c by prolonged (5 h) mild hydrolysis with acid, and the major core oligosaccharide obtained from its symbiotic and LPS-defective mutant, JS314, was the trisaccharide alpha-D-Man p-(1----4)-alpha-D-Glc p-(1----4)-2,7-anhydro-alpha-Kdof. The 2,7-anhydro-3-deoxy-alpha-D-manno-2- octulofuranosonic acid moiety was probably formed during the prolonged mild hydrolysis with acid. A disaccharide core component, also released by mild acid hydrolysis of the mutant LPS, had the structure 4-O-Me-alpha-D-Man p-(1----5)-Kdo. The Kdo residue in this disaccharide is present as the normal pyranose form and as an anhydro derivative, possibly 4,8-anhydro-3-deoxy-D-manno-2-octulosonic acid, which may have formed also during prolonged mild hydrolysis with acid. Mild acid hydrolysis of the LPS of the parent strain does not produce this disaccharide, but 4-O-Me-Man is found exclusively in the O-chain fraction released from the parent LPS. Additionally, a small amount of O-chain is found in the mutant LPS. The results imply that the O-chain is attached to the remainder of the LPS through the 4-O-Me-Man-Kdo disaccharide component of the core region.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Approaches to the C-B-A trisaccharide of dihydroaclacinomycin by extending the chain from either side.

Selective benzylation of L-fucal (1) under phase-transfer conditions gave the 3- and 4-monoethers 2 and 3, respectively. Two routes, the "tail" or the "head" addition are presented, both leading to the target molecule 9, a mimic of the C-B-A trisaccharide component of dihydroaclacinomycin. Addition of glycals 2 and 3 respectively, to the acetylated glycal (7) of amicetose used as glycosyl donor gave the disaccharide glycals 6 and 8. Alternatively, glucosylation of the 4-acetate (4) of 2 with the benzyl hex-2-enopyranoside derivative 10 gave the disaccharide derivative 11. In the first case, the final glycosylation step involves the addition of 10 to disaccharide glycal 8. In the second procedure, the disaccharide alcohol 12 is obtained by O-deacetylation of 11, and serves as the glycosyl acceptor for glycal derivative 7 to give the C-B-a precursor trisaccharide derivative.

Aclarubicin↗

Synthesis of the methyl alpha-glycosides of a di-, tri-, and a tetra-saccharide fragment mimicking the terminus of the O-polysaccharide of Vibrio cholerae O:1, serotype Ogawa.

Methyl 4-(3-deoxy-L-glycero-tetronamido)-4,6-dideoxy-2-O-methyl-alpha-D- mannopyranoside was acetylated, and the fully protected methyl glycoside was treated with dichloromethyl methyl ether-ZnCl2 (DCMME-ZnCl2) reagent to give 3-O-acetyl-4-(2,4-di-O-acetyl-3- deoxy-L-glycero-tetronamido)-4,6-dideoxy-2-O-methyl-alpha-D-mannop yranosyl chloride (3). Condensation of 3 with methyl 3-O-acetyl-4-(2,4-di-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-L-glycero-tetronamido)-4,6- dideoxy-alpha-D-mannopyranoside (4) gave the fully acetylated disaccharide 5, which was deacetylated yielding the methyl alpha-glycoside of title disaccharide. The disaccharide glycosyl donor required for the blockwise synthesis of the title tri- and the tetra-saccharide, 3-O-acetyl-4-(2,4-di-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-L-glycero-tetronamido)-4,6-d ideoxy-2-O- methyl-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-(1-->2)-3-O-acetyl-4- (2,4-di-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-L-glycero-tetronamido)-4,6-dideoxy-alpha- D- mannopyranosyl chloride (12), was obtained by condensation of 3 with the 1-O-acetyl analog of 4, followed by treatment of the disaccharide formed with DCMME-ZnCl2. The synthesis of the methyl alpha-glycoside of the title trisaccharide involved a condensation of 12 with 4, followed by deacetylation. Similarly, the condensation of 12 with 15, the latter being the analog of 5 having a free HO-2, followed by deacetylation, gave the methyl alpha-glycoside of the title tetrasaccharide. All glycosylation reactions were mediated by silver trifluoromethanesulfonate in the presence of 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine. 4-(3-Deoxy-L-glycero-tetronamido)-4,6-dideoxy-2-O-methyl-alpha,bet a-D- mannopyranose was prepared for the first time. It was characterized by NMR spectroscopy, and via its crystalline per-O-acetyl derivative. It is the saccharide whose alpha-form constitutes the terminal, non-reducing end-group of the O-PS of V. cholerea O:1, serotype Ogawa.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Compositional changes of urinary acidic glycosaminoglycans in progressive systemic sclerosis.

The compositional changes of acidic glycosaminoglycans (AGAG) in the urine of progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) patients were studied using chondroitinases and heparitinase in appropriate enzyme assays and by electrophoretic characterization. Daily urinary excretion of AGAG in patients with PSS was increased, when compared to normals. The proportion of urinary AGAG in PSS patients, which was undigested by chondroitinase-ABC (most probably representing heparan sulfates (HS)), increased significantly from the normal value. The substance was found to be mainly HS as determined by the electrophoretic pattern, thin-layer chromatographic analysis and by its susceptibility to heparitinase. After digestion of urinary chondroitin sulfate isomers with chondroitinases, the unsaturated disaccharides were mainly separated into 4-sulfated and 6-sulfated disaccharide units by paper chromatography. In all of the patients with PSS, the ratio of the unsaturated 4-sulfated disaccharide to the unsaturated disaccharide was higher than that in normal subjects. These observations indicate an abnormal turnover of AGAG in patients with PSS.

Adolescent↗

Structural studies and "in vivo" and "in vitro" pharmacological activities of heparin fractions and fragments prepared by chemical and enzymic depolimerization.

Two heparin families (SM- and FM- heparins) have been fractionated with barium by selective precipitation at different temperatures. Fragments were obtained from these two fractions by enzymic and chemical degradation. Some structural features and pharmacological activities of FM- and SM-heparins as well as the fragments are now reported. The fragments, prepared by ascorbate/H2O2 oxidation (M.W. 4,500) or heparitinase II (M.W. 5,500), are enriched with trisulfated disaccharide units whereas heparin (M.W.12,500) and FM-heparin (M.W. 10,200) contain also N-sulfated and N-acetylated disaccharides. The chemical and enzymic fragments show 1/3 to 1/5 of the anticoagulant activity of heparin by the USP and APTT methods. The LPL releasing activity is also low in the fragments as well as the AXa activity measured by the chromogenic method. On the other hand the AXa activity measured by the Yin and Wessler procedure is two times higher in the fragments when compared to heparin. The fragments resulting from heparin after heparitinase II degradation and ascorbate/H2O2 oxidation were rich in trisulfated disaccharide units whereas heparin and FM-heparin contained also measurable amounts of monosulfated and N-acetylated disaccharide units. The mechanism of ascorbate oxidation and the structural requirements for the pharmacological activities of heparin is discussed in view of these and other findings.

Animals↗

Structural heterogeneity of dermatan sulfate chains: correlation with heparin cofactor II activating properties.

To obtain dermatan sulfate (DS) with different structural characteristics and biological properties we isolated three groups of chains from a bovine mucosal DS preparation, differently iduronated and sulfated. The selected DS chains were characterized by their total charge values, electrophoretic mobility, susceptibility to Chondroitinase AC II treatment and disaccharide composition of Chondroitinase ABC digests. Besides the major IdoUA-->GalNac-4-SO4 sequences, two DS fractions (s-DS 1.75 M and f-DS 1.75 M) contained more than 10% disulfated disaccharides sequences and the third DS fraction (s-DS 1.5 M) contained only 4% disulfated disaccharides. Chondroitinase AC II treatment indicated that both the electrophoretically retarded forms (s-DS) are iduronic acid rich, as they were only minimally degraded to disaccharides/oligosaccharides. The ability of DS crude preparation to activate the heparin cofactor II (HCII) mediated inhibition of thrombin depends on the relative amount of highly active DS chains; this activity is related to the overall charge of DS chains and particularly with the content of IdoUA-2-SO4-->GalNAc-4-SO4 and UA-->GalNAc-4,6-di-SO4 disaccharides.

Animals↗

Study on the carbohydrate specificity of antibodies formed in rabbits to synthetic glycoproteins with the carbohydrate structure of asialo-glycophorin A.

Antibodies formed in rabbits to synthetic glycoproteins with the disaccharide structure beta-D-Gal-(1-3)-D-GalNAc, the carbohydrate moiety of desialylated glycophorin A, were investigated for their carbohydrate specificity by hemagglutination techniques and radioimmunoassay. The synthetic disaccharide was coupled to human serum albumin as carrier protein using different spacer groups and different configurations of the disaccharide spacer linkage. Radioimmunological inhibition experiments using a number of different derivatives of the carbohydrate group as inhibitors revealed a significant specificity of the antibodies for the oligosaccharide structure. However, the nature of the conjugation of the disaccharide to the carrier protein was found to be important for defining the specificity of the antibodies. Furthermore the arrangement of the hapten groups in the synthetic antigen had an important influence on the antigen-antibody reaction. No cross-reactions were observed between asialo-glycophorin A and the different synthetic antigens. Synthetic antigens provide a valuable tool for generating carbohydrate-specific antibodies. However, if the synthetic hapten molecule is small compared to the combining site of antibodies, the specificity of the immunological reaction is significantly influenced by the synthetic spacer arm or even the carrier protein.

Animals↗