Structure determination of oligosaccharides isolated from A+, H+ and A-H- hog-submaxillary-gland mucin glycoproteins, by 360-MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy, permethylation analysis and mass spectrometry.

Alkaline borohydride reductive cleavage (beta-elimination) of hog submaxillary glycoproteins from three immunologically determined phenotypes, viz. A+, H+ and A-H-, resulted in the release of a series of neutral and acidic oligosaccharide-alditols. 360-MHz 1H-NMR spectroscopy in combination with methylation analysis and mass spectrometry were used for reinvestigation of the structures of these oligosaccharide-alditols. All are partial structures representing the possible complete and biosynthetically incomplete stages of the chain of a pentasaccharide-N-acetylgalactosaminitol, present in the glycoprotein with blood-group-A activity: (formula: see text) In this way, a prolonged argument about the occurrence of a NeuGc(alpha 2 leads to 6) Gal moiety in these carbohydrate chains, suggested by Aminoff et al. [Aminoff, D., Baig, M. M. and Gathmann, W. D. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 1788-1793 and 8909-8913] has been brought to a definite end. In the investigated oligosaccharide-alditols N-glycoloylneuraminic acid (NeuGc) is in no case attached to galactose (Gal), but, if present, it is (alpha 2 leads to 6)-linked to N-acetylgalactosaminitol (GalNAc-ol).