title: Characterization and structure of a sialic acid-containing hexasaccharide isolated from human pregnancy urine.
abstract: A hexasaccharide containing sialic acid has been isolated from the urine of pregnant women. It contains D-glucose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and sialic acid in the proportions of 2:1:1:2. Its structure, established by methylation analysis, enzymic digestion, and potassium borohydride reduction, is that of lacto-N-tetraose with one of the residues of sialic acid linked alpha-(2 leads to 3) to the terminal nonreducing residue of D-galactose, and the other sialic acid residue linked alpha-(2 leads to 6) to the N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residue. This hexasaccharide is related to human pregnancy, as it has not been found in nonpregnant, normal-woman urine and is present in human milk.
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006601:Hexoses / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000652:urine*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D006601:Hexoses; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D012794:Sialic Acids