Structure of the major neutral oligosaccharide-alditols released from the egg jelly coats of Axolotl maculatum. Characterization of the carbohydrate sequence GalNAc(beta 1-4)[Fuc(alpha 1-3)] GlcNAc(beta 1-3/6).

Several O-linked oligosaccharides of the jelly coat surrounding the eggs of Axolotl maculatum were analysed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The four major oligosaccharidealditols released by reductive beta-elimination display either the Lewisx (Lex) determinant or the sequence GalNAc(beta 1-4)[Fuc(alpha 1-3)]GlcNAc. This last structure has previously been characterized in allergenically active oligosaccharides isolated from the sea squirt H-antigen, and in the N-linked glycans of Schistosoma mansoni and human urokinase. It represents the major carbohydrate chain found in A. maculatum, the oviduct of which constitutes an excellent source of beta 1-4-acetylgalactosaminyl transferase activity. Moreover, the carbohydrate chains isolated from A. maculatum are quite different from those found in seven other amphibian species, in which the presence of species-specific material has been characterized. The role of carbohydrates appears more and more apparent during the fertilization process, and the diversity of the O-linked oligosaccharides supports such a biological role.