Glycoprotein assembly in Leishmania mexicana.

The oligosaccharide transferred from a dolichol-P-P derivative to proteins in the assembly of N-linked glycoproteins in Leishmania mexicana appeared to be Man6GlcNAc2. It was found that this compound underwent transient glucosylation once bound to protein but that Man6GlcNAc2 was the oligosaccharide present in mature glycoproteins. No complex type saccharides were detected. The structure of the oligosaccharide appeared to be similar to that of the core of compounds transferred from dolichol-P-P derivatives in protein glycosylation in Trypanosoma cruzi or animal cells.