The Effects of N-glycans

Cell surface and secreted proteins typically carry asparagine-linked glycan chains (N-glycans), and N-glycan-containing glycoproteins play important roles in many key biological events. It is widely accepted that the roles produced by glycoproteins in cell adhesion, fertilization, fetal development, neurogenesis, and tumor development are influenced by their N-glycans. These N-glycans are involved in many biological events such as cell-cell recognition, differentiation, immune response, and inflammation. It has been found that cell surface N-glycans of the bisecting type are important for cancer therapy. Therefore, the analysis of bisecting N-glycans has many important implications for immunobiology.

Fig.1 Glycan molecules on the cell surface. (Zaia, 2011)

Cell Surface Bisecting Type N-glycan Glycoengineering Service at CD BioGlyco

CD BioGlyco has constructed a complete Glycoengineering Platform, we provide cell-surface N-glycans glycoengineering services for several isoforms.

• Firstly, we provide synthesis and structural analysis of N-glycans.
  We synthesize the corresponding diastereomeric N-glycans by introducing flat GlcNAc residues into the monosaccharide or polysaccharide chains. For its structural analysis, we provide 1D NMR, and 2D NMR experiments (1H NMR, 13CNMR, COSY, TOCXY, HMQC, HMBC), and mass spectrometry (MS).
• Secondly, we provide a service to detect the basic function of bisecting N-glycans in cell biology.
  Specifically, we offer assays including, but not limited to, out-of-sequence glycosidase digestion, methylation derivatization, acetylation, and Smith degradation of ovalbumin. Since certain N-glycans produce specific roles in life activities, this may be used as a biomarker for specific disease progression. For example, bisecting N-glycans can be used as a marker for the development of cancer.

Fig.2 Specifics of the services we provide. (CD BioGlyco)

Publication

• Paper Title: The essential functions and detection of bisecting GlcNAc in cell biology.
• Technology: Based on two detection targets, glycan and glycopeptide levels, glycan structure leveling was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
• Journal: Frontiers in Chemistry
• Published: 2020
• Results: As shown in Fig.3, the bisected GlcNAc is directly attached to the C4 position of the β-conjugated Man, which has the characteristic components of the 3,4,6-conjugated Man and is a unique signal for GC-MS to recognize the bisected GlcNAc. The method uses gas chromatography to separate analytes with higher resolution for complex small molecules; however, glycan samples must be derivatized to PMAA for GC-MS analysis, and the efficiency of the reaction affects the quantification of the equipartitioned GlcNAc structure.

Fig.3 GlcNAc-Man branches catalyzed by GlcNAc-Ts. (Chen, et al., 2020)

Applications

• In the medical field, our glycoengineering of N-glycans is applied to help detect the onset of certain diseases such as cancer.
• In the life sciences, our assay services concerning bisecting N-glycans apply to help scientists explore the physiological activities and functions of glycans.
• Glycoengineering of N-glycans applies to the development of physiologically active drugs.

Advantages

• Our research is based on the full range of N-glycans, so our services have a good breadth of coverage.
• Our professional researchers will provide suitable glycoengineering of N-glycans for our clients.

CD BioGlyco has a complete glycoengineering platform and has accumulated many years of experience in the fields of glycoconcentration and glycobiology. We provide our clients with comprehensive Glycoengineering Technologies and help them solve difficult problems in glycobiology. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.