HPLC-based analysis of serum N-glycans on a 96-well plate platform with dedicated database software.
We present a robust, fully automatable technology platform that includes computer software for the detailed analysis of low femtomoles of N-linked sugars released from glycoproteins. Features include (i) sample immobilization in 96-well plates, glycan release, and fluorescent labeling; (ii) quantitative HPLC analysis, including monosaccharide sequence, linkage, and arm-specific information for charged and neutral glycans; (iii) automatic structural assignment of peaks from HPLC profiles via web-based software that accesses our database (GlycoBase) of more than 350 N-glycan structures, including 117 present in the human serum glycome; and (iv) software (autoGU) that progressively analyzes data from exoglycosidase digestions to produce a refined list of final structures. The N-glycans from a plate of 96 samples can be released and purified in 2 or 3 days and profiled in 2 days. This strategy can be used for (i) identification and screening of disease biomarkers and (ii) monitoring the production of therapeutic glycoproteins, allowing optimization of production conditions. This technology is also suitable for preparing released glycans for other analytical techniques. Here we demonstrate its application to rheumatoid arthritis using 5 microl of patient serum.
Royle
Louise
L
Department of Biochemistry, Glycobiology Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK. louise.royle@ludger.com
Campbell
Matthew P
MP
Radcliffe
Catherine M
CM
White
Dawn M
DM
Harvey
David J
DJ
Abrahams
Jodie L
JL
Kim
Yun-Gon
YG
Henry
George W
GW
Shadick
Nancy A
NA
Weinblatt
Michael E
ME
Lee
David M
DM
Rudd
Pauline M
PM
Dwek
Raymond A
RA
D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry*; D012984:Software
D011134:Polysaccharides; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases