An end-modified β-d-galactosyl chitotetraose derivative [44-O-β-d-galactosyl-β-tri-N-acetylchitotriosyl 2-acetamide-2,3-dideoxy-glucopyranose; Gal(GlcN)3D] was designed and synthesized from chitin tetrasaccharide. The derivative was chemically modified by dehydration of the reducing end GlcN and enzymatic addition of a Gal group to the non-reducing end GlcN. Hydrolysis of Gal(GlcN)3D and related compounds using hen egg-white lysozyme was then examined. Gal(GlcN)3D was specifically cleaved to Gal(GlcN)2 and GlcND. Kinetic studies and docking simulations were further conducted to elucidate its mode of binding to lysozyme. These analyses revealed the binding of Gal(GlcN)3D to lysozyme is more favorable than that of (GlcN)4D. We conclude the 4-O-substituted Gal group at the non-reducing end of Gal(GlcN)3D does not prohibit the action of lysozyme, but gives some affinity to the subsite (i.e. equivalent to GlcN). From these results, a new assay method for quantifying lysozyme was established by utilizing the Morgan-Elson reaction based on the generation of product D (2-acetamide-2,3-dideoxy-glucopyranose), which serves as a chromophore, formed from Gal(GlcN)3D by lysozyme through a conjugated reaction involving β-N-acetylhexosaminidase. The assay system gave a linear dose-response curve in the range of 2-31 μg of lysozyme during a 15 min incubation. This novel assay method for the quantification of lysozyme is highly specific, sensitive, accurate and reproducible.
Keywords: Chitin oligosaccharide derivatives; Enzyme assay; Hexosaminidase; Kinetics; Lysozyme.
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