Sugars methylated , identification

In recent year s, clinical studies on the role of uiinai y luodified nucleosides as the biochemical mai kers of various types of cancer have been actively undertaken. Most of the urinai y modified nucleosides ai e piimai ily originated by methylation of either the base part, the sugar hydroxyl par t, or in some cases, both par ts of the course of biodegradation of tRNA molecules. Hence, their isolation and identification plays a major role in biochemical analysis. 

The partially methylated monosaccharides obtained on depolymerization of the permethylated sample are preferably analyzed as acetates by g.l.c.-m.s., as shown by Bjomdal and coworkers.41,42 The neutral sugars and the amino sugars obtained in acetolysis-acid hydrolysis are reduced, and acetylated for the analysis, and the amino-hexitol and the neuraminic acid residues are acetylated after methanolysis. Identification with the aid of g.l.c.-m.s. has been described for all of the common components of protein- and lipid-linked glycans and oligosaccharides from animal cells, namely, the neutral sugars,41-43 hexitols,44 hexosamines,29,43,45,46 aminohexitols,31,32 and neuraminic acids.33,34,47... 

The methyl-substitution pattern of the neutral sugar residues can be reliably identified from their mass spectra.41-43 Identification of the substitution pattern from the electron-impact, mass spectra rarely presents any major problems. It should, however, be noted that, in some cases, the occurrence of symmetrical molecules jeopardizes the identification. An example of this is the symmetrical, 3,4-di-O-methyl derivative (6) of mannose, which is commonly found in the analysis of... 

The presence of fucose or of methyl ethers of fucose has been reported in many polysaccharides, but the configuration of the sugar has not always been established, as identification has often been based solely on chromatographic data. Great advances have been made with the introduction of new techniques for the elucidation of structures of... 

By analysis112 of the fragmentation patterns of partially methylated carbohydrates that have subsequently been deuteriomethylated, the disposition of the original methyl groups can be determined. This procedure may have a significant advantage over other methods of identification of partially methylated sugars, and the method has been discussed in a previous article in this Series.116... 

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