PRIMARY STRUCTURE OF THE MAJOR GLYCAN FROM HUMAN SEMINAL TRANSFERRIN

Human seminal transferrin (HSmT) is an iron-containing glycoprotein wh ose structural properties have not been adequately investigated. The c arbohydrate content of the purified glycoprotein amount to 6.1%, and m onosaccharide analysis revealed the major oligosaccharide moiety to be of the N-glycoside type. The carbohydrate chains were released from t he iron-free form by digestion with peptide N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) in the presence of detergents such as SDS and beta-octylglucoside. Af ter ethanol precipitation and fractionation on Bio-Gel P-6 and Bio-Gel P-2, the oligosaccharide was further purified on Mono-Q and desalted on Bio-Gel P-2. By 600-MHz H-1-NMR spectroscopy, the primary structure of the major N-linked oligosaccharide component was established to be : [GRAPHICS]