DiLeuPMP: A Multiplexed Isobaric Labeling Method for Quantitative Analysis of O-Glycans

As one of the most important post-translational modifications, glycosylation plays a pivotal role in many essential physiological functions, including cell recognition, signaling, and immune response. Thus, various qualitative and quantitative analytical strategies for glycomic profiling have been developed in recent decades. However, while extensive efforts have been devoted to the analysis of N-glycans, high-throughput quantitative analysis of O-glycans is often overlooked and underexplored. This is partially due to the lack of a universal enzyme for the release of O-glycans from the protein backbone. Furthermore, the traditional chemical releasing method suffers from severe side reactions and involves tedious sample preparation procedures. Here, a multiplexed isobaric labeling method enabled by N,N-dimethyl leucine containing pyrazolone analogue (DiLeuPMP) is introduced. This method combines the release and labeling of O-glycans in a one-pot reaction and achieves accurate MS²-based relative quantification with the ability to process four samples at a time. The method has been applied to core-1 O-glycan standard and three glycoproteins first, and the results demonstrated its validity. Following this proof-of-principle demonstration, we analyzed more complex biological specimen using human serum samples. Overall, this method provides an effective and reliable approach for the profiling and high-throughput quantitative analysis of O-glycans in complex samples.