Structures of the neutral oligosaccharides isolated from A-active human gastric mucin.

Alkaline borohydride reductive cleavage of the mucin, purified from gastric aspirates of the secretors with blood group A, resulted in a heterogeneous population of neutral (79.7%) and acidic (20.3%) oligosaccharide alditols. Nine oligosaccharides (I-IX), ranging from 6 to 15 sugar units, have been purified from the neutral oligosaccharide fraction. Based on the results of immunological assays, sugar composition, degradation with specific exoglycosidases, and methylation analyses, we propose the following structures for these oligosaccharides: (sequence in text)