1H NMR characterization of a hen ovalbumin tyrosinamide N-linked oligosaccharide library

A library of 15 N-linked oligosaccharide structures was prepared from ovalbumin and characterized using high-field NMR and mass spectrometry. The oligosaccharides were enzymatically released from ovalbumin glycopeptides, and the reducing ends were reacted with ammonium bicarbonate to form oligosaccharide-glycosylamines. These reacted with Boc-tyrosine-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester, resulting in a mixture of tyrosinamide-oligosaccharides. The Boc group was removed to expose an amine terminus which enhanced the resolution of tyrosinamide-oligosaccharides when chromatographed on reverse-phase HPLC. Ten major and five minor oligosaccharides were purified on a micromole scale and characterized using 1H NMR and FAB-MS. The structures include high-mannose, hybrid, and complex oligosaccharides possessing from two to five antenna, providing the most complete definition of ovalbumin N-linked oligosaccharides to date. The resulting library is well suited to biological studies due to the presence of a single terminal tyrosine residue on each oligosaccharide that allows radioiodination or the attachment of additional probes to these glycoconjugates prior to biological studies.