Determination of single monosugars bound to a peptide

A method is described which allows detection and quantitative determination of single monosugar units bound O-glycosidically to a peptide. A glycoprotein or a glycopeptide is chemically degraded under the modified conditions of Carlson degradation (beta-elimination performed in weakly alkaline conditions in the presence of sodium borohydride). An aliquot of the neutralized reaction mixture, supplemented with an internal standard, is peracetylated, extracted and directly analyzed by g.l.c.-m.s. All the O-linked oligosaccharides split off from the peptide are derivatized, but under gas-liquid chromatography at 150-230 degrees C only monosugar peracetylated alditols reach the detector. By comparing the retention times of appropriate peaks with standards and by checking their mass spectra the monosugar alditols are unequivocally identified. The detectable amount of a reduced monosugar in the analyzed sample is about 0.3 microgram. Several glycoproteins were analyzed using this method. Free N-acetylgalactosaminitol was detected in the degradation products of human glycophorin A and ovine submaxillary mucin, additionally free galactitol was detected in the degradation products of glycophorin. This result suggests that some single galactose units, O-glycosidically linked to the peptide are present in human glycophorin A.