Multidimensional HPLC mapping method for the structural analysis of anionic N-glycans

The multidimensional HPLC mapping method developed by Dr. Noriko Takahashi and coworkers has been widely recognized as a useful tool for the structural analysis of neutral and sialyl N-glycans. The utility of this method would be further extended if it could be used to analyze anionic oligosaccharides, including sulfated or glucuronylated glycans, since they play important roles in cell-cell communications. Hence, we developed HPLC maps of sulfated and glucuronylated oligosaccharides produced by recombinant sulfotransferases and glycosyltransferases. Here, we describe the HPLC map of anionic glycans and demonstrate its utility by applying this map for the characterization of sulfotransferase N-acetylglucosamine 6-O-sulfotransferase-1 (GlcNAc6ST-1) and glycosylation profiling of influenza virus.