Characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance of the concanavalin A binding oligosaccharide on the beta b chain of placental beta-hexosaminidase B: lectin binding to the separated polypeptide chains of hexosaminidases A and B.

The type and distribution of the oligosaccharides on each polypeptide of human placental beta-hexosaminidases A (alpha (beta a beta b)) and B (2(beta a beta b)) were examined. The denatured polypeptides were separated by isoelectric focussing in a polyacrylamide slab gel and each gel was then overlaid with 125I-labelled lectins. The study indicated that the beta a chain contains negligible carbohydrate, the beta b chain contains both the high-mannose and a complex type oligosaccharide, and the alpha chain contains predominantly high-mannose or hybrid type moieties. Two asparagine-linked high-mannose type oligosaccharides present on the beta b polypeptide of beta-hexosaminidase B were isolated by concanavalin A chromatography and by reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of the oligosaccharides revealed an equimolar glycan mixture of the high-mannose type structure Man5 and Man6.