CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PHOSPHORYLCHOLINE-CONTAINING N-LINKED OLIGOSACCHARIDES IN THE EXCRETORY-SECRETORY 62 KDA GLYCOPROTEIN OF ACANTHOCHEILONEMA-VITEAE

The major excretory-secretory product of the rodent filarial nematode Acanthocheilonema viteae is a 62 kDa glycoprotein (ES-62), which has p hosphorylcholine, attached to the N-linked carbohydrates. In this pape r, we describe structural studies of N-glycans released from ES-62 by peptide N-glycosidase F. Three major classes of N-glycan structures we re observed: high mannose type structures; those which had been fully trimmed to the trimannosyl core and were sub-stoichiometrically fucosy lated; and those with a trimannosyl core, with and without core fucosy lation, carrying between one and four additional N-acetylglucosamine r esidues. Of the three classes of glycans, only the last was found to b e substituted with detectable levels of phosphorylcholine. The implica tions of these results with respect to the probable glycosylation path ways operating in A. viteae are discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B .V.