Solution structure of the Lewis x oligosaccharide determined by NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations.

The Lewis x (Lex) determinant is a trisaccharide fragment that has been implicated as a specific differentiation antigen, as a tumor antigen, and as a key component of the ligand for the endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule, ELAM-1. High-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy shows it to have a relatively rigid structure. Only a small range of glycosidic dihedral angles in the trisaccharide produce simulated nuclear Overhauser effect spectra agreeing with data measured for the human milk pentasaccharide, lacto-N-fucopentaose-3, which contains the Lex determinant. Independently, the same average structure for the Lex determinant arises from in vacuo molecular dynamics simulations. The proposed conformation of the Lex trisaccharide is very similar to that recently determined for the closely related Lea trisaccharide. In agreement with the recent finding that both sialylated Lea and Lex react with ELAM-1, the results presented here show that the Lea and Lex determinants contain very similar carbohydrate domains.