Current Methods for the Characterization of -Glycans.

Glycosylation is crucial in cellular metabolism and survival. Of interest is the role of -linked and -linked glycans in disease states. Robust analytical methods must be defined to identify suitable glycan biomarkers and glyco-therapeutics. Fortunately, in -glycan analysis, a universal enzyme exists to deglycosylate a variety of common-core structures from proteins for analysis using mass spectrometric and fluorescence techniques. Unfortunately, for their -linked counterparts, no such enzyme exists. Furthermore, -glycan heterogeneity is vast due to the lack of a common glycan core, making analysis challenging. As such, chemical methods are used to liberate -glycans, however, often to the detriment of the glycan's structure due to "peeling" reactions. This review outlines approaches for -glycan release and downstream glycomic and glycoproteomic analysis.