Recent developments in liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis for the analysis of glycoprotein glycans.

Oligosaccharides attached to proteins are very challenging analytical targets because of their wide variety and complexity. Reliable analytical methods for the quantitative profiling of glycoprotein glycans is essential for investigating their functions in biological systems, and for use in the production of recombinant glycoproteinaceous pharmaceuticals. The most reliable and straightforward method to view glycan compositions is fluorescent labeling, followed by liquid chromatography or capillary electrophoresis. This article briefly summarizes the methods used for releasing glycans from glycoproteins and the purification with various solid phases, labeling, and separation by liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis of the released glycans.