Structural variability of the neutral carbohydrate moiety of cow colostrum kappa-casein as a function of time after parturition. Identification of a tetrasaccharide with blood group I specificity.

New neutral oligosaccharides from cow colostrum kappa-casein were identified and characterized by 500-MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Their structures are Gal beta(1----3)GalNAc-ol, Gal beta(1----3)[GlcNAc beta(1----6)]GalNAc-ol, Gal beta(1----3)[Gal beta(1----4)GlcNAc beta(1----6)]GalNAc-ol, Gal beta(1----3)[Fuc alpha(1----3)[Gal beta(1----4)]GlcNAc beta(1----6)]GalNAc-ol. The tetrasaccharide and the cow colostrum kappa-caseinoglycopeptide which contains this oligosaccharide inhibit the hemagglutination of blood group I human erythrocytes. In cow mature milk only the disaccharide is characterized. The variability of these neutral oligosaccharides in cow kappa-casein as a function of time after calving is studied.