Appearance of bisected N-acetylglucosamine residue of biantennary sugar chains and decrease of high molecular weight oligosaccharides of human lymphocytic cell membranes during differentiation.

Asparagine-linked sugar chains obtained from the plasma membranes of human acute lymphocytic leukemic cells, human B cells, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected B cell lines, and T cells were quantitatively liberated from the polypeptide portions by hydrazinolysis followed by N-acetylation and NaB3H4 reduction. The radioactive oligosaccharides were fractionated by high-voltage paper electrophoresis. Their structures were studied by column chromatography and sequential exoglycosidase digestion. The neutral oligosaccharides were of a high mannose type. The acidic oligosaccharides were bi-, tri-, and tetraantennary complex-type sugar chains with Man alpha----(Man alpha----) Man beta----GlcNAc beta----(+/- Fuc alpha----)GlcNAc as their cores. A comparative study of the oligosaccharides of these cells revealed that the biantennary complex-type sugar chain with bisecting N-acetylglucosamine residues was found only in B cells, B lymphoblasts, and B cell lines. High molecular weight oligosaccharides decreased during the differentiation stage of lymphocytes.