title: Molecular forms and microheterogeneity of the oligosaccharide chains of pregnancy-associated CA125 antigen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cancer antigen CA125 has a very complex molecular architecture in terms of both protein backbone and oligosaccharide chains. In this study, we examined the molecular forms and microheterogeneity of oligosaccharide chains of pregnancy-associated CA125, as a first step towards gaining an insight into its possible involvement as a ligand in carbohydrate-dependent interactions. The glycobiochemical properties of CA125 may be of diagnostic and biomedical importance as specific markers of physiological and pathological conditions of early pregnancy, as well as targets in different therapeutic procedures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnancy-associated CA125 was characterized by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography, followed by lectin-affinity chromatography with a panel of plant lectins as ligands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CA125 antigen isolated from first trimester placental extract was found to be heterogeneous in respect to molecular mass and the existence of different glyco-isoforms. Thus, elution profiles from the lectin-affinity columns demonstrated molecular subpopulations bound with low, intermediate and high affinity. Under the applied experimental conditions, CA125 bound most strongly to Triticum vulgaris agglutinin (WGA) and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA), but low affinity interactions occurred with the other lectins tested.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The assessment of the carbohydrate composition of N- and O-glycans of pregnancy-associated CA125 was in general agreement with available data on CA125 of cancer origin. The main difference was observed in reactivity to Canavalia ensiformis agglutinin (ConA) and Phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin (PHA-E) binding.
authors.affiliation: Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy - INEP, Belgrade, Zemun-Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. miraji@inep.co.yu
authors.forename: Miroslava M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Jankovic
authors.forename: Bojana S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Tapuskovic
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004586:Electrophoresis; D005260:Female; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D037102:Lectins; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D037102:Lectins; D009844:Oligosaccharides