Mass spectrometric analysis of benzoylated sialooligosaccharides and differentiation of terminal alpha 2 -> 3 and alpha 2 -> 6 sialogalactosylated linkages at subpicomole levels

Perbenzoylated sialooligosaccharides were found to be stable derivatives, g iving intense signals during the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionizatio n (MALDI) mass spectrometric analysis in the positive-ion mode. Terminal Ne u5NAc alpha 2-->3 and alpha 2-->6Gal units of oligosaccharides undergo char acteristic structural changes during benzoylation, yielding easily recogniz able mass spectral patterns. Subpicomole carbohydrate samples were successf ully benzoylated and analyzed through MALDI mass spectrometry.