We have developed an effective, sensitive method for quantitative glycopeptide profiling using stable isotope labeling and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS). In this study, we synthesized benzoic acid-d0 N-succinimidyl ester (BzOSu) and benzoic acid-d5 N-succinimidyl ester (d-BzOSu) as light and heavy isotope reagents for stable isotope quantification for the comparative analysis of glycopeptides. Using this approach provided enhanced ionization efficiency in both positive and negative modes by MALDI-TOF MS. These reagents were quantitatively reacted with glycopeptides from human serum IgG (hIgG) at a wide range of concentrations; the labeling efficiency of the glycopeptides showed high reproducibility and a good calibration curve was obtained. To demonstrate the practical utility of this approach, we characterized the structures of glycopeptides from hIgG and from IgG1 produced by myeloma plasma. The glycopeptides were quantitatively analyzed by mixing Bz-labeled IgG1 glycopeptides with d-Bz-labeled hIgG glycopeptides. Glycan structural identification of the hIgG glycopeptides was demonstrated by combining the highly specific recognition of endo-β-N-acetyl glucosaminidases from Streptococcus pyogenes (endoS) or from Streptococcus pneumoniae (endo-D) with MALDI-TOF MS analysis. The obtained data revealed the glycan profile and the ratio of glycan structural isomers containing a galactosylated extension on IgG1, IgG2 and IgG3 glycopetides.

In sharp contrast with analysis of N-glycan that can be prepared by PNGase F, O-glycan analysis remains challenging due to a lack of versatile and simple procedures, especially those mediating cleavage of O-glycans from proteins. Most N-glycans and O-glycans are modified with sialic acids at the non-reducing end and their glycosidic linkages are labile, making it difficult to measure glycans by mass spectrometric analysis. In addition, sialic acid residues present on glycan chains via α2,3-, α2,6-, and α2,8-linkages as structural isomers. In this study, we firstly established a direct and linkage-specific derivatization method for sialylated O-glycans on proteins via linkage-specific lactone-opening aminolysis. In this procedure, labile sialylated glycans were not only stabilized, but also allowed distinguishing between sialyl linkages. Furthermore, we revealed that general reductive β-elimination was not useful for O-glycan cleavages with undesirable degradations of resulting methyl amides. Using β-elimination in the presence of pyrazolone (PMP), with low pH despite alkali base concentration, SALSA-derivatized O-glycans could be cleaved with minimal degradations. Cleaved and PMP-labeled O-glycans could be efficiently prepared in an open reaction system at high temperature (evaporative BEP reaction) and detected by simple liquid-phase extraction. Moreover, in the evaporative BEP reaction by changing the alkali solution with LiOH, the lithiated O-glycans could be observed and provided a lot of fragment information reflecting the complex structure of the O-glycans. Direct sialic acid linkage-specific derivatization of O-glycans on glycoproteins is simple protocol containing in-solution aminolysis-SALSA and acetonitrile precipitation for removal of excess reagents. Evaporative β-elimination with pyrazolone makes possible intact O-linked glycan analysis just by liquid-phase extraction. These analytical methods established by the appropriate combination of direct-SALSA and evaporative β-elimination will facilitate O-glycomic studies in various biological samples.

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Immunoglobulin G (IgG) has a conserved N-glycosylation site at Asn297 in the fragment crystallizable (Fc) region. Previous studies have shown that N-glycosylation of this site is a critical mediator of the antibody’s effector functions, such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. While the N-glycan structures attached to the IgG-Fc region are generally heterogenous, IgGs engineered to be homogenously glycosylated with functional N-glycans may improve the efficacy of antibodies. The major glycoforms of the N-glycans on the IgG-Fc region are bi-antennary complex-type N-glycans, while multi-branched complex-type N-glycans are not typically found. However, IgGs with tri-antennary complex-type N-glycans have been generated using the N-glycan remodeling technique, suggesting that more branched N-glycans might be artificially attached. At present, little is known about the properties of these IgGs. In this study, IgGs with multi-branched N-glycans on the Fc region were prepared by using a combination of the glycosynthase/oxazoline substrate-based N-glycan remodeling technique and successive reactions with glycosyltransferases. Among the IgGs produced by these methods, the largest N-glycan attached was a bisecting N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) containing a sialylated penta-antennary structure. Concerning the Fc-mediated effector functions, the majority of IgGs with tri- and tetra-antennary N-glycans on their Fc region showed properties similar to IgGs with ordinary bi-antennary N-glycans.