Structure of the glycopeptides of a human gamma 1-immunoglobulin G (Tem) myeloma protein as determined by 360-megahertz nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

High field magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been utilized to deduce the primary structure of the glycopeptides from a human myeloma gamma 1-immunoglobulin G (Tem). The major structures found belong to the biantennary complex class of glycopeptides, with a minor (5%) fraction belonging to the bisected biantennary complex class. In the biantennary class, three structures were present with different residues at the termini of the alpha Man(1-6) and alpha Man(1-3) arms: (i) with beta Gal(1-4) and alpha NeuNAc(2-6), respectively (33%); (ii) with beta Gal(1-4) and beta Gal(1-4), respectively (45%); and (iii) beta Gal(1-4) and beta GlcNAc(1-2), respectively (17%). In the bisected biantennary class only the latter termini were found for the two arms. These results suggest that the galactosyl transferase in these cells has a preference for the beta GlcNAc(1-2) of the alpha Man(1-6) arm and that the sialyltransferase has a preference for the beta Gal(1-4) of the alpha Man(1-3) arm.