Analysis of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides by sequential lectin-affinity chromatography.

Various immobilized lectins can be successfully used for fractionation and for structural studies of asparagine-linked sugar chains of glycoproteins (see Note 9). This method needs < 10 ng of a radiolabeled oligosaccharide prepared from a glycoprotein by hydrazinolysis or by digestion with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases. The fractionation and the structural assessment through the use of immobilized lectins make the subsequent structural studies much easier.