Identifying Sialylation Linkages at the Glycopeptide Level by Glycosyltransferase Labeling Assisted Mass Spectrometry (GLAMS)

Anal Chem. 2020 May 5;92(9):6297-6303. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b05068. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Abstract

Precise assignment of sialylation linkages at the glycopeptide level is of importance in bottom-up glycoproteomics and an indispensable step to understand the function of glycoproteins in pathogen-host interactions and cancer progression. Even though some efforts have been dedicated to the discrimination of α2,3/α2,6-sialylated isomers, unambiguous identification of sialoglycopeptide isomers is still needed. Herein, we developed an innovative glycosyltransferase labeling assisted mass spectrometry (GLAMS) strategy. After specific enzymatic labeling, oxonium ions from higher-energy C-trap dissociation (HCD) fragmentation of α2,3-sailoglycopeptides then generate unique reporters to distinctly differentiate those of α2,6-sailoglycopeptide isomers. With this strategy, a total of 1236 linkage-specific sialoglycopeptides were successfully identified from 161 glycoproteins in human serum.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Azides / chemistry
  • Azides / metabolism
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism*
  • Blood Proteins / chemistry
  • Blood Proteins / metabolism
  • Campylobacter jejuni / enzymology
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Cattle
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Fetuins / chemistry
  • Fetuins / metabolism
  • Glycosylation
  • Hexosamines / chemistry
  • Hexosamines / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Isomerism
  • Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Sialoglycoproteins / analysis*
  • Sialoglycoproteins / metabolism
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry / methods*

Substances

  • Azides
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Blood Proteins
  • Fetuins
  • Hexosamines
  • N-azidoacetylmannosamine
  • Sialoglycoproteins
  • CgtA protein, bacteria
  • Monomeric GTP-Binding Proteins