Glycan Profiling of Various Glycoprotein

Glycan profiling is a new research method based on glycomics, which can be widely applied for various glycoproteins or glycans analysis. Based on advanced glycomics related technology, Creative Biolabs has gained a good reputation and significant knowledge in glycan profiling of various glycoproteins. We are pleased to provide high-quality glycan profiling service for global customers to facilitate their related researches.

What Is Glycan Profiling?

Glycan profiling is a novel method for structural analysis of glycans or glycoproteins, which is characterized by achieving the essential information of target glycans or glycoproteins in a rapid, sensitive, and high-throughput manner. Glycan profiling can be carried out in two different ways:

• Liberated glycomics: Characterizing glycans liberated from glycoproteins, cells, and tissues, which is dominant in glycan profiling. Glycans are usually liberated from the glycoproteins prior to analysis and subjected to fluorescence labeling for detection. It is a pity that some information such as attachment sites or spatial heterogeneity may be lost.
• Intact glycomics: Targeting glycoproteins or those extracted from cells and tissues directly, which is more suitable for rapid analysis of glycoproteins. But precise or detailed information of glycan structures can’t be figured out.

Fig.1 The four major separation technologies for structural glycomics (Hirabayashi, 2008).

Why Glycan Profiling?

Protein glycosylation, the most posttranslational modification, is the process the carbohydrate is attached to the protein. Most proteins in humans are in glycosylation form, which plays a significant role in a variety of biological activities. Glycosylation or glycoprotein analysis is challenging due to the complexity and the isobaric nature of attached glycans. To fully understand the functional roles of glycans and glycoproteins, glycan profiling is a good choice for glycoprotein analysis, even for glycoprotein biomarkers research in diverse diseases. For glycan profiling, four key technologies should be introduced firstly: Multi-dimensional liquid chromatography, Mass spectrometry, Capillary electrophoresis, Lectin Microarray.

Fig.2 A general scheme for glycan profiling (Hirabayashi, 2008).

Technologies for Glycan Profiling in Creative Biolabs

As a comprehensive customer service provider, Creative Biolabs possess an abundant technology platform for glycan profiling of various glycoproteins. Based on these advanced technologies, we can provide our customers with a perfect solution to improve your programs by rapid glycoform analysis of your samples.

• Lectin Microarray
• Mass Spectrometry (MS)
• Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS)
• Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS)
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
• High-Performance Anion-Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC-PAD)
• Reversed-Phase-High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC)
• Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight (UHPLC/FLD/Q-TOF)

Glycan Profiling of Various Glycoproteins in Creative Biolabs

With the development of Glycomics, glycan profiling has been applied for various glycoproteins researches, such as simply structural identification, functions elucidation, and glycoprotein biomarkers research, etc. Here, we would like to introduce some studies in glycan profiling, as follows:

• N- And O-Linked Glycoprofiling of Ebolaviruses GP_{1, 2} Glycoproteins

Ebolaviruse, a subclass of filoviruses belong to the genus Ebolavirus, causes Ebola virus disease characterized by a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans and other mammals. Glycoproteins GP_1, 2 is the only ebolavirus surface protein, which is extensively glycosylated transmembrane protein. N- and O-linked glycoprofiling are chosen to research GP_{1, 2} glycoproteins of ebolaviruses due to limited information on glycosylation was known.

• Comprehensive N-Glycan Profiling of Cetuximab Biosimilar Candidate

Cetuximab, approved by FDA, is a therapeutic recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) drug which has been applied for clinical treatment of cancers for many years. Development of biosimilars of cetuximab is becoming a trend due to the expensiveness of the production, lucrative targets, and the coming off-patent protection. Thus, a comprehensive glycan profiling of a biosimilar candidate of cetuximab is needed.

• Concanavalin A-Binding Glycoproteins Profiling

Concanavalin A (ConA) is a plant lectin that extracted from jack beans, which can bind to various glycoproteins with a wide range of biological activities and applications. Comparative profiles of ConA-binding glycoproteins have been performed to figure out potential roles in the pathophysiology of liver disease.

• Cell Surface Glycoprotein Profiling

Cell surface glycoproteins mainly affect some fundamental bioactivities associated with cell-cell interactions, cell adhesion, and cell migration. Most of present studies about cell surface glycoprotein have been conducted to elucidate the structures and functions on lymphocytes and cancer cells, while cell surface glycoprotein profiling information is so limited.

• Ovine Luteinizing Hormone Alpha-Subunit (oLHalpha) Glycoprotein Profiling

As one glycoprotein hormones, oLHalpha or luteinizing hormone plays a critical role in the vertebrate reproductive system. Luteinizing hormone serves as a transporter convey the integrated central information from the hypothalamic-pituitary complex toward gonads in both males and females. oLHalpha is a perfect candidate for glycoprotein profiling research due to its microheterogeneity and biological relevance.

• Plasma Glycoprotein Profiling

Plasma glycoprotein accounts for the majority of plasma proteins, which can act as an antibody, a transporter, an enzyme even a glycoprotein biomarker in various biological processes. Plasma glycoprotein profiling can be conducted by proteomics using modern analytical techniques.

• Serum Glycoprotein Profiling

Serum glycoproteins account for the majority of serum proteins, which play important roles in a variety of biological processes and pathogenesis. However, available research on serum glycoproteins profiling still requires comprehensive, deep investigation and development.

As a leading service provider in the field of biological research, scientists from Creative Biolabs has devoted themselves to glycoprotein glycan profiling for many years. We believe that our high-quality services and competitive price certainly will help you get satisfied consequence. Please feel free to contact us for more detailed information.

References

1. Hirabayashi, J. Concept, strategy and realization of lectin-based glycan profiling. Journal of Biochemistry. 2008, 144(2):139-147.
2. Hirabayashi, J. Glycan Profiling. Experimental Glycoscience. 2008, pp 56-59. (book)

Related Services:

1. Glycan Component Classification
2. Glycan Labeling
3. Technologies for Glycan Profiling
4. Use Glycoenzymes to Understand Glycan Structure and Function
5. Visualize Terminal Glycans Using Fluorescence or SDS-PAGE
6. Glycans in Immunity