Zamfir Alina D
Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Arad, Romania.
National Institute for Research and Development in Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter, Timisoara, Romania.
Electrophoresis. 2016 Apr;37(7-8):973-86. doi: 10.1002/elps.201500461. Epub 2016 Feb 1.
Proteoglycans (PGs) represent a class of heavily glycosylated proteins distributed in the extracellular matrix, connective tissues, and on the surface of many cell types where, as functional molecules, regulate important biological processes. Structurally, PGs consist of a core protein linked to glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains, which basically determine the properties and activities of PGs. In view of the structural complexity of GAGs and the existing correlation between this structure and PG functions, systematic efforts are invested into development of analytical methods for GAG characterization. Although less popular and of higher technical difficulty than liquid-based chromatographic methods, CE coupled with ESI MS contributed lately an important progress to glycosaminoglycomics field. In this review article, the most significant CE ESI MS and MS/MS applications in GAG research are highlighted and critically assessed. The advantages and the limitations of each concept as well as the possible further methodological refinements are also concisely discussed. Finally, the review presents the perspectives of CE ESI MS in GAG analysis along with the objectives, which still need to be reached in the near future.
蛋白聚糖（PGs）是一类高度糖基化的蛋白质，分布于细胞外基质、结缔组织以及许多细胞类型的表面，作为功能分子在这些部位调节重要的生物学过程。从结构上看，蛋白聚糖由与糖胺聚糖（GAG）链相连的核心蛋白组成，糖胺聚糖链基本决定了蛋白聚糖的性质和活性。鉴于糖胺聚糖结构的复杂性以及该结构与蛋白聚糖功能之间存在的相关性，人们投入了系统的努力来开发用于糖胺聚糖表征的分析方法。尽管与基于液相的色谱方法相比，毛细管电泳（CE）与电喷雾电离质谱（ESI MS）联用不太受欢迎且技术难度更高，但最近它在糖胺聚糖组学领域取得了重要进展。在这篇综述文章中，重点介绍并批判性地评估了毛细管电泳 - 电喷雾电离质谱及串联质谱在糖胺聚糖研究中最重要的应用。还简要讨论了每个概念的优点和局限性以及可能的进一步方法改进。最后，综述介绍了毛细管电泳 - 电喷雾电离质谱在糖胺聚糖分析方面的前景以及近期仍需实现的目标。
