Site-Specific N- and O-Glycosylation Analysis of Human Plasma Fibronectin

Human plasma fibronectin is an adhesive protein that plays a crucial role in wound healing. Many studies had indicated that glycans might mediate the expression and functions of fibronectin, yet a comprehensive understanding of its glycosylation is still missing. Here, we performed a comprehensive N- and O-glycosylation mapping of human plasma fibronectin and quantified the occurrence of each glycoform in a site-specific manner. Intact N-glycopeptides were enriched by zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction chromatography, and N-glycosite sites were localized by the O-18-labeling method. O-glycopeptide enrichment and O-glycosite identification were achieved by an enzyme-assisted site-specific extraction method. An RP-LC-MS/MS system functionalized with collision-induced dissociation and stepped normalized collision energy (sNCE)-HCD tandem mass was applied to analyze the glycoforms of fibronectin. A total of 6 N-glycosites and 53 O-glycosites were identified, which were occupied by 38 N-glycoforms and 16 O-glycoforms, respectively. Furthermore, 77.31% of N-glycans were sialylated, and O-glycosylation was dominated by the sialyl-T antigen. These site-specific glycosylation patterns on human fibronectin can facilitate functional analyses of fibronectin and therapeutics development.

Automated summary

By conducting a comprehensive glycosylation analysis of human plasma fibronectin, researchers identified multiple N-glycosites and O-glycosites, revealing the distribution of different glycoforms at specific locations. The study also showed that fibronectin glycosylation is predominantly influenced by sialylation, with a high percentage of N-glycans being sialylated. These findings can enhance the understanding of fibronectin functionality and the development of therapeutic drugs.