Thiogalactopyranosides are resistant to hydrolysis by α-galactosidases.

Fluorescently tagged glycosides containing terminal α(1→3) and α(1→4)-linked thiogalactopyranosides have been prepared and tested for resistance to hydrolysis by α-galactosidases. Eight fluorescent glycosides containing either galactose or 5-thiogalactose as the terminal sugar were enzymatically synthesized using galactosyltransferases, with lactosyl glycosides as acceptors and UDP-galactose or UDP-5'-thiogalactose, respectively, as donors. The glycosides were incubated with human α-galactosidase A (CAZy family GH27, a retaining glycosidase), Bacteroides fragilis α-1,3-galactosidase (GH110, an inverting glycosidase), or homogenates of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells or NG108-15 rat glioma cells. Substrate hydrolysis was monitored by capillary electrophoresis with fluorescence detection. All compounds containing terminal O-galactose were readily degraded. Their 5-thiogalactose counterparts were resistant to hydrolysis by human α-galactosidase A and the enzymes present in the cell extracts. B. fragilis α-1,3-galactosidase hydrolyzed both thio- and O-galactoside substrates; however, the thiogalactosides were hydrolyzed at only 1-3 % of the rate of O-galactosides. The hydrolytic resistance of 5-thiogalactose was also confirmed by an in vivo study using cells in culture. The results suggest that 5-thiogalactosides may be useful tools for the study of anabolic pathways in cell extracts or in single cells.