Linkage and Branch Analysis of High-Mannose Oligosaccharides Using Closed-Ring Labeling of 8-Aminopyrene-1,3,6-Trisulfonate and P-Aminobenzoic Ethyl Ester and Negative Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry

A strategy based on negative ion electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry and closed-ring labeling with both 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate (APTS) and p-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester (ABEE) was developed for linkage and branch determination of high-mannose oligosaccharides. X-type cross-ring fragment ions obtained from APTS-labeled oligosaccharides by charge remote fragmentation provided information on linkages near the non-reducing terminus. In contrast, A-type cross-ring fragment ions observed from ABEE-labeled oligosaccharides yielded information on linkages near the reducing terminus. This complementary information provided by APTS- and ABEE-labeled oligosaccharides was utilized to delineate the structures of the high-mannose oligosaccharides. As a demonstration of this approach, the linkages and branches of high-mannose oligosaccharides Man(5)GlcNAc(2), Man(6)GlcNAc(2), Man(8)GlcNAc(2), and Man(9)GlcNAc(2) cleaved from the ribonuclease B were assigned from MS(2) spectra of ABEE- and APTS-labeled derivatives.     

猴头菌寡糖的分离及其结构确定

报道了从猴头菌浸膏中分离出猴头菌二糖和三糖, 并确定了其化学结构.     

Glycan labeling strategies and their use in identification and quantification

Most methods for the analysis of oligosaccharides from biological sources require a glycan derivatization step: glycans may be derivatized to introduce a chromophore or fluorophore, facilitating detection after chromatographic or electrophoretic separation. Derivatization can also be applied to link charged or hydrophobic groups at the reducing end to enhance glycan separation and mass-spectrometric detection. Moreover, derivatization steps such as permethylation aim at stabilizing sialic acid residues, enhancing mass-spectrometric sensitivity, and supporting detailed structural characterization by (tandem) mass spectrometry. Finally, many glycan labels serve as a linker for oligosaccharide attachment to surfaces or carrier proteins, thereby allowing interaction studies with carbohydrate-binding proteins. In this review, various aspects of glycan labeling, separation, and detection strategies are discussed.     

Structural analysis of oligosaccharides by atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry.

An ion source incorporating a fibre optic interface has been constructed for atmospheric pressure matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry. The configuration has been applied to the study of linear and complex oligosaccharides. Multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry (MSn, n = 2-4) experiments carried out in the ion trap enable extended fragmentation pathways to be investigated that yield structural information. Collisional activation of sodiated oligosaccharides, as demonstrated on the model compound maltoheptaose, produces primarily B and Y fragments resulting from cleavage of glycosidic bonds; fragments from cross-ring cleavages are also observed following further stages of tandem mass spectrometry, providing additional linkage information. The analyses of mixtures of complex oligosaccharides are demonstrated for N-linked glycans from chicken egg glycoproteins and a ribonuclease glycan mixture. Mass spectrometric and tandem mass spectrometric data for sugars with molecular weights up to 4000 Da is shown for mixtures of linear dextrans and N-linked glycans. The use of MSn (n = 3, 4) on these complex molecules enabled structural information to be elucidated that confirms data observed in the MS/MS spectra.     

Using a nanoelectrospray-differential mobility spectrometer-mass spectrometer system for the analysis of oligosaccharides with solvent selected control over ESI aggregate ion formation

Differential mobility spectrometry (DMS), also commonly referred to as high field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry (FAIMS) is a rapidly advancing technology for gas-phase ion separation. The interfacing of DMS with mass spectrometry (MS) offers potential advantages over the use of mass spectrometry alone. Such advantages include improvements to mass spectral signal/noise, orthogonal/complementary ion separation to mass spectrometry, enhanced ion and complexation structural analysis, and the potential for rapid analyte quantitation. In this report, we demonstrate the successful use of our nanoESI-DMS-MS system, with a methanol drift gas modifier, for the separation of oligosaccharides. The tendency for ESI to form oligosaccharide aggregate ions and the negative impact this has on nanoESI-DMS-MS oligosaccharide analysis is described. In addition, we demonstrate the importance of sample solvent selection for controlling nanoESI oligosaccharide aggregate ion formation and its effect on glycan ionization and DMS separation. The successful use of a tetrachloroethane/methanol solvent solution to reduce ESI oligosaccharide aggregate ion formation while efficiently forming a dominant MH(+) molecular ion is presented. By reducing aggregate ion formation in favor of a dominant MH(+) ion, DMS selectivity and specificity is improved. In addition to DMS, we would expect the reduction in aggregate ion complexity to be beneficial to the analysis of oligosaccharides for other post-ESI separation techniques such as mass spectrometry and ion mobility. The solvent selected control over MH(+) molecular ion formation, offered by the use of the tetrachloroethane/methanol solvent, also holds promise for enhancing MS/MS structural characterization analysis of glycans.     

MALDI-TOF and ESI-MS analysis of oligosaccharides labeled with a new multifunctional oligosaccharide tag

A new multifunctional oligosaccharide label with a 1 degree amino-group was synthesized and characterized. The oligosaccharide label was introduced into several neutral oligosaccharides by reductive amination, and the derivatives were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight (TOF) and by electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry. It was demonstrated that the labeling reaction was satisfactory, and that as little as 50 pmol of starting material could be efficiently labeled with minimal loss to side reactions. A mixture of high-mannose N-glycans released from ribonuclease B was labeled. The label did not appear to interfere with structural characterization of the oligosaccharides by mass spectrometry. N-quaternization of the labeled oligosaccharides resulted in significantly increased sensitivity of detection with as little as 100 fmol on the probe detected. Deuterium coding of labeled oligosaccharide mixtures and relative abundance of mixture components was investigated. A protocol for the chromatographic separation of mixtures of labeled oligosaccharides by HPLC was developed and is reported here.     

Structural assignment of isomeric 2-aminopyridine-derivatized monosialylated biantennary N-linked oligosaccharides using negative-ion multistage tandem mass spectral matching

To investigate the possibility of structural assignment based on negative-ion tandem multistage (MSn) mass spectral matching, four isomers of 2-aminopyridine (PA)-derivatized monosialylated oligosaccharides (i.e., complex-type N-glycans with an alpha2-3- or alpha2-6-linked sialic acid on alpha1-6 or alpha1-3 antennae) were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-IT-TOFMS). The negative ion [M-2H]2- is observed predominantly in the MS1 spectra without the loss of a sialic acid. The MS2 spectra derived from it are sufficiently reproducible that MS2 spectral matching based on correlation coefficients can be applied to the assignment of these isomers. The isomers containing a sialic acid on alpha1-6 or alpha1-3 antennae can be distinguished by MS2 spectral matching, but the alpha2-3 and alpha2-6 linkage types of sialic acid cannot be distinguished by their MS2 spectra. However, MS3 spectra derived from fragment ions containing a sialic acid (i.e., C4- and D-type ions) clearly differentiate the alpha2-3 and alpha2-6 linkage types of sialic acid in their MS3 spectral patterns. This difference might be rationalized in terms of a proton transfer from the reducing-end mannose to the negatively charged sialic acid. These two moieties are very close in the structural conformations of the precursor C4-type fragment ions of alpha2-6 linkage type, as predicted by molecular mechanics calculations. Thus, negative-ion MSn (n = 2, 3) spectral matching was demonstrated to be useful for the structural assignment of these four monosialylated PA N-glycan isomers.     

Electron Detachment Dissociation of Underivatized Chloride-Adducted Oligosaccharides

Chloride anion attachment has previously been shown to aid determination of saccharide anomeric configuration and generation of linkage information in negative ion post-source decay MALDI tandem mass spectrometry. Here, we employ electron detachment dissociation (EDD) and collision activated dissociation (CAD) for the structural characterization of underivatized oligosaccharides bearing a chloride ion adduct. Both neutral and sialylated oligosaccharides are examined, including maltoheptaose, an asialo biantennary glycan (NA2), disialylacto-N-tetraose (DSLNT), and two LS tetrasaccharides (LSTa and LSTb). Gas-phase chloride-adducted species are generated by negative ion mode electrospray ionization. EDD and CAD spectra of chloride-adducted oligosaccharides are compared to the corresponding spectra for doubly deprotonated species not containing a chloride anion to assess the role of chloride adduction in the stimulation of alternative fragmentation pathways and altered charge locations allowing detection of additional product ions. In all cases, EDD of singly chloridated and singly deprotonated species resulted in an increase in observed cross-ring cleavages, which are essential to providing saccharide linkage information. Glycosidic cleavages also increased in EDD of chloride-adducted oligosaccharides to reveal complementary structural information compared to traditional (non-chloride-assisted) EDD and CAD. Results indicate that chloride adduction is of interest in alternative anion activation methods such as EDD for oligosaccharide structural characterization.     

刺五加寡糖的电喷雾多级串联质谱研究

采用小柱层析法从刺五加中分离得到刺五加寡糖类系列化合物(刺五加二糖刺五加六糖).实验结果表明,在正离子模式下的ESI-MS谱中,此类化合物呈现出特征的加合离子峰簇[M+Na]⁺/[M+K]⁺或[M+H₂O+Na]⁺/[M+H₂O+K]⁺,可以确定其分子量;在负离子模式下的ESI-MS谱中,刺五加寡糖易形成[M-H]^-/[M+nH₂O-H]^-(n<3).还利用电喷雾多级串联质谱(ESI-MSⁿ)对刺五加三糖进行了系统的研究,推断出刺五加三糖的组成与结构.     

Oligosaccharide analysis by graphitized carbon liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Structural analysis of complex mixtures of oligosaccharides using tandem mass spectrometry is regularly complicated by the presence of a multitude of structural isomers. Detailed structural analysis is, therefore, often achieved by combining oligosaccharide separation by HPLC with online electrospray ionization and mass spectrometric detection. A very popular and promising method for analysis of oligosaccharides, which is covered by this review, is graphitized carbon HPLC–ESI-MS. The oligosaccharides may be applied in native or reduced form, after labeling with a fluorescent tag, or in the permethylated form. Elution can be accomplished by aqueous organic solvent mixtures containing low concentrations of acids or volatile buffers; this enables online ESI-MS analysis in positive-ion or negative-ion mode. Importantly, graphitized carbon HPLC is often able to resolve many glycan isomers, which may then be analyzed individually by tandem mass spectrometry for structure elucidation. While graphitized carbon HPLC–MS for glycan analysis is still only applied by a limited number of groups, more users are expected to apply this method when databases which support structural assignment become available.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry analysis of isomeric carbohydrate precursor ions

The rapid separation of isomeric precursor ions of oligosaccharides prior to their analysis by mass spectrometry to the nth power (MS ⁿ ) was demonstrated using an ambient pressure ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) interfaced with a quadrupole ion trap. Separations were not limited to specific types of isomers; representative isomers differing solely in the stereochemistry of sugars, in their anomeric configurations, and in their overall branching patterns and linkage positions could be resolved in the millisecond time frame. Physical separation of precursor ions permitted independent mass spectra of individual oligosaccharide isomers to be acquired to at least MS³, the number of stages of dissociation limited only practically by the abundance of specific product ions. IMS–MS ⁿ analysis was particularly valuable in the evaluation of isomeric oligosaccharides that yielded identical sets of product ions in tandem mass spectrometry experiments, revealing pairs of isomers that would otherwise not be known to be present in a mixture if evaluated solely by MS dissociation methods alone. A practical example of IMS–MSⁿ analysis of a set of isomers included within a single high-performance liquid chromatography fraction of oligosaccharides released from bovine submaxillary mucin is described.     

Negative ion graphitised carbon nano-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry increases sensitivity for glycoprotein oligosaccharide analysis

Negative ion nano-liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (nano-LC/MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC/MS(2)), using graphitised carbon as separating medium, were explored for analysing neutral and acidic O-linked and N-linked oligosaccharide alditols. Compared to the sensitivity of capillary LC/MS (flow rate of 6 microL/min) coupled with a conventional electrospray ionisation source, the nano-LC/MS (flow rate of 0.6 microL/min) with a nanoflow ion source was shown to increase the sensitivity ten-fold with a detection limit in the low-femtomole range. The absolute signals for the [M-nH](n-) ions of the oligosaccharides were increased 100-fold, enabling accumulation of high-quality fragmentation data in MS(2) mode, in which detection of low abundant sequence ions is necessary for characterisation of highly sialylated N-linked oligosaccharides. Oligosaccharides with high numbers of sialic acid residues gave dominant fragments arising from the loss of sialic acid, and less abundant fragments from cleavage of other glycosidic bonds. Enzymatic off-line desialylation of oligosaccharides in the low-femtomole range prior to MS(2) analysis was shown to increase the quality of the spectra. Automated glycofragment mass fingerprinting using the GlycosidIQ software confirmed the oligosaccharide sequence for both neutral desialylated as well as sialylated structures. Furthermore, the use of graphitised carbon nano-LC/MS enabled the detection of four sialylated O-linked oligosaccharides on membrane proteins from ovarian tissue (5 microg of total amount of protein).     

N-linked oligosaccharide analysis of rat brain Thy-1 by liquid chromatography with graphitized carbon column/ion trap-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry in positive and negative ion modes

We have previously described the site-specific glycosylation analysis of rat brain Thy-1 by LC/multistage tandem mass spectrometry (MS(n)) using proteinase-digested Thy-1. In the present study, detailed structures of oligosaccharides released from Thy-1 were elucidated by mass spectrometric oligosaccharide profiling using LC/MS with a graphitized carbon column (GCC-LC/MS). First, using model oligosaccharides, we improved the oligosaccharide profiling by ion trap mass spectrometry (IT-MS) coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Sequential scanning of a full MS(1) scan with FT-ICR-MS followed by data-dependent MS(n) with IT-MS in positive ion mode, and a subsequent full MS(1) scan with FT-ICR-MS followed by data-dependent MS(n) with IT-MS in negative ion mode enabled the monosaccharide composition analysis as well as profiling and sequencing of both neutral and acidic oligosaccharides in a single analysis. The improved oligosaccharide profiling was applied to elucidation of N-linked oligosaccharides from Thy-1 isolated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was demonstrated that Thy-1 possesses a significant variety of N-linked oligosaccharides, including Lewis a/x, Lewis b/y, and disialylated structure as a partial structure. Our method could be applicable to analysis of a small abundance of glycoproteins, and could become a powerful tool for glycoproteomics.     

Application of electrospray ionization with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry for structural screening of core oligosaccharides from lipopolysaccharides of the bacteria Proteus

Electrospray ionization with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICRMS) was used for screening and structural elucidation of core oligosaccharides isolated from lipopolysaccharides of bacteria of the genus Proteus. Mass spectra allowed the determination of the molecular masses with high accuracy and the estimation of the chemical heterogeneity of the samples. They did not, however, provide sufficient information to identify structural details of the branched oligosaccharides. Therefore, various fragmentation techniques for determining such details were examined. Infrared multiphoton dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (IRMPD-MS/MS) experiments in negative ion mode resulted in cleavage between the structurally conserved inner core region and the variable outer core region. Positive ion capillary skimmer dissociation mass spectra showed numerous fragment ion peaks, including those corresponding to the subsequent cleavage of the glycosidic linkages starting from the non-reducing end of the oligosaccharide. Despite their complexity, these mass spectrometric studies allowed confirmation of previously determined Proteus lipopolysaccharide core structures, and identification of new related structures in other strains of these bacteria.     

Gas-phase oligosaccharide nonreducing end (GONE) sequencing and structural analysis by reversed phase hplc/mass spectrometry with polarity switching

Here we describe a technique to obtain all the N-linked oligosaccharide structures from a single reversed-phase (RP) HPLC run using on-line tandem MS in both positive and negative ion modes with polarity switching. Oligosaccharides labeled with 2-aminobenzamide (2AB) were used because they generated good ionization efficiency in both ion polarities. In the positive ion mode, protonated oligosaccharide ions lose sugar residues sequentially from the nonreducing end with each round of MS fragmentation, revealing the oligosaccharide sequence from greatly simplified tandem MS spectra. In the negative ion mode, diagnostic ions, including those from cross-ring cleavages, are readily observed in the MS² spectra of deprotonated oligosaccharide ions, providing detailed structural information, such as branch composition and linkage positions. Both positive and negative ion modes can be programmed into the same LC/MS experiment through polarity switching of the MS instrument. The gas-phase oligosaccharide nonreducing end (GONE) sequencing data, in combination with the diagnostic ions generated in negative ion tandem MS, allow both sequence and structural information to be obtained for all eluting species during a single RP-HPLC chromatographic run. This technique generates oligosaccharide analyses at high speed and sensitivity, and reveals structural features that can be difficult to obtain by traditional methods.     

Diagnostic ions for the rapid analysis by nano-electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry of O-glycans from human mucins

Nano-electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (nanoESI-Q-TOFMS) was used for sensitive mapping and sequencing of underivatized oligosaccharide alditols obtained from human mucins. Using subnanomolar amounts of oligosaccharides previously analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), series of diagnostic ions relevant to the structural characterization of O-glycans were deduced. Determination of the core type as well as positions and partial linkages of fucose residues could be readily obtained from the dominant [M+Na](+) ions. Differentiation of isomeric structures and glycosidic linkages were defined by the characteristic cross-ring (0,2)A-type cleavages in the negative ion mode. Tandem (MS/MS) mass spectra of [M-H](-) ions from sialylated or sulfated O-glycans revealed information concerning the position and linkage of such residues. These fragmentation rules were further applied in the structural determination of glycans from human colonic mucins. All these findings indicated the efficiency of ESI-Q-TOFMS for the determination of oligosaccharide composition, sequence, partial linkage and substitution, providing a wealth of structural information with sensitivity sufficient for the analysis of quantities as obtained from natural sources.     

Structural characterization of 2-aminobenzamide-derivatized oligosaccharides using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization two-stage time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometer

Oligosaccharides were derivatized by reductive amination using 2-aminobenzamide (2-AB) and analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization two-stage time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in the positive ion mode. The major signals were obtained under these conditions from the [M+Na]+ ions for all 2-AB-derivatized oligosaccharides. A systematic study was conducted on a series of 2-AB-derivatized oligosaccharides to allow rationalization of the fragmentation processes. The MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS/MS spectra of the [M+Na]+ ions of 2-AB-derivatized oligosaccharides were dominated by glycosidic cleavages. These fragments originating both from the reducing and the non-reducing ends of the oligosaccharide yield information on sequence and branching. Moreover, the MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS/MS spectra were also characterized by abundant cross-ring fragments which are very informative on the linkages of the monosaccharide residues constituting these oligosaccharides. MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS/MS analysis of 2-AB-derivatized oligosaccharides, by providing structural information at the low-picomole level, appears to be a powerful tool for carbohydrate structural analysis.     

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates

The technique of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI) is described and examples are given of its use for the examination of glycoproteins, glycopeptides, glycolipids and oligosaccharides. Abundant [M + H]⁺ ions are produced by the glycoproteins and glycopeptides, whereas glycolipids and oligosaccharides give mainly [M + Na]⁺ ions. Resolution on time-of-flight (TOF) instruments is poor but improved resolution can be obtained by use of ion cyclotron resonance or magnetic sector instruments. Although the technique gives mainly [M + Na]⁺ ions from neutral, underivatised oligosaccharides, with little fragmentation when implemented on TOF systems, the use of a reflectron enables fragment ions produced by post-source decay to be obtained. Acidic sugars give less satisfactory positive ion spectra with TOF analysers. but generally produce abundant negative ions. Extensive fragmentation is observed with these compounds when the spectra are recorded with magnetic sector instruments. Neutral glycolipids produce strong spectra from several matrices but acidic glycolipids show extensive fragmentation as the result of sialic acid loss.     

Structural analysis of saponins from medicinal herbs using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

The underivatized saponins from Tribulus terrestris and Panax ginseng have been investigated by electrospray ionization multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS(n)). In ESI-MS spectra, a predominant [M + Na](+) ion in positive mode and [M - H](-) ion in negative mode were observed for molecular mass information. Multi-stage tandem mass spectrometry of the molecular ions was used for detailed structural analysis. Fragment ions from glycoside cleavage can provide information on the mass of aglycone and the primary sequence and branching of oligosaccharide chains in terms of classes of monosaccharides. Fragment ions from cross-ring cleavages of sugar residues can give some information about the linkages between sugar residues. It was found that different alkali metal-cationized adducts with saponins have different degrees of fragmentation, which may originate from the different affinity of a saponin with each alkali metal in the gas phase. ESI-MS(n) has been proven to be an effective tool for rapid determination of native saponins in extract mixtures, thus avoiding tedious derivatization and separation steps.     

Anomeric information obtained from a series of synthetic trisaccharides using energy resolved mass spectra

The majority of structural investigations of oligosaccharides based on mass spectrometry use naturally occurring oligosaccharides, which do not allow extracting any common feature associated with anomeric structures and linkage positions. In order to address the issue to find such characteristics possibly contained in oligosaccharide structure, a synthetic combinatorial trisaccharide library was analyzed. The trisaccharides used in the analysis consisted of L-fucose, D-galactose and D-glucose, in which individual glycosidic linkages existed in either alpha- or beta-anomers. The analysis of energy-resolved mass spectra (ERMS) and the scattered plot analysis of some parameters obtained from ERMS for a series of trisaccharides revealed that lower activation energy was required for the dissociation of alpha-glycosides of these sugars compared to those of the corresponding beta-anomers. It is suggested that this finding may be useful in structural analysis of natural oligosaccharides.