Primary structure of 12 neutral oligosaccharide-alditols released from the jelly coats of the anuran Xenopus laevis by reductive beta-elimination.

The O-linked oligosaccharides of the jelly coat surrounding the eggs of Xenopus laevis were analysed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Among the 12 neutral oligosaccharide-alditols which have been characterized, three of them possess the following unusual structures: [sequence: see text] As previously observed for six other amphibian species, the carbohydrate chains of the jelly coat of Xenopus eggs display a high species specificity which could support a biological role during the fertilization processes.