Biotin labeling of the symbiotically important succinoglycan oligosaccharides of Rhizobium meliloti for identification of putative plant receptors

The symbiotically important trimer of the succinoglycan octasaccharide subu nit was labeled with a biotin tag through coupling with a 6-biotinamidohexa n hydrazide and subsequent reduction with burane. The acetyl and succinyl g roups in the molecule were stable to the two-step sequence, while a small p ercentage of the ketal in the pyruvate groups was reduced to an ether-linke d lactic acid moiety attached to either the O-4 or O-6 position of the suga r residue under the reaction conditions. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Sci ence Ltd.