Alpha-Gal oligosaccharides: chemistry and potential biomedical application.
This article focuses on the most recent research efforts by the Wang group in the field of alpha-Gal oligosaccharides. alpha-Gal oligosaccharides are carbohydrate structures bearing a Gal( alpha)1-3Gal(beta) terminus. This class of compounds are believed to act as xenoactive antigens that instigate the hyperacute rejection in xenotransplantation. Enzymatic methods using recombinant (alpha)1-3 galactosyltransferase were employed to synthesize several alpha-Gal oligosaccharides. In addition, a chemical synthetic scheme was devised in order to produce readily accessible amounts of alpha-Gal. Conformational analysis was done using both NMR techniques and molecular modeling protocols. These studies provide important information in the structure-function relationship of alpha-Gal and anti- alpha-Gal antibodies.
Janczuk
A
A
Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
Li
J
J
Zhang
W
W
Chen
X
X
Chen
Y
Y
Fang
J
J
Wang
J
J
Wang
P G
PG
D000818:Animals; D015478:Antigens, Heterophile / Q000737:chemistry; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D005700:Galactosyltransferases; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D015478:Antigens, Heterophile; D004187:Disaccharides; D009844:Oligosaccharides; C055075:galactosyl-(1-3)galactose; D005700:Galactosyltransferases; C037959:beta-D-galactosyl-N-acetylglucosaminylglycopeptide alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase