The size of the C-chain maltosaccharide of glycogen: evidence for the presence of only a single branch

Glycobiology. 2005 Oct;15(10):14C-8C. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwi093. Epub 2005 Jun 15.

Abstract

Glycogen is found in mammals and yeast bound to glycogenin forming proteoglycogen. The branched polysaccharide is joined to the protein through the C-chain, a maltosaccharide considered to be 13 glucose units long and double branched as the other branched glycogen B-chains. We described before the isolation of c-glycogenin, the debranched C-chain bound to glycogenin, from muscle proteoglycogen. In this work, the size of the C-chain is analyzed for the first time. The maltosaccharide moiety of c-glycogenin was auto[14C]glucosylated by a short incubation with UDP-[14C]glucose, and the labeled maltosaccharide was released by heating in 2 M NaOH containing 0.1 M NaBH4 and analyzed by high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). The results indicate that the C-chain is about half the size of the B-chains, not long enough to be double branched.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatography, Thin Layer
  • Glycogen / chemistry*
  • Maltose / chemistry*
  • Oligosaccharides, Branched-Chain / chemistry*

Substances

  • Oligosaccharides, Branched-Chain
  • Maltose
  • Glycogen