Characterization of a pentasaccharide in salivary mucin from the stumptail monkey, Macaca arctoides.

Oligosaccharides were prepared by alkaline cleavage and sodium borotritide reduction. Following gel filtration on Sephadex G-25, [3H]-oligosaccharides were further fractionated by anion-exchange and preparative paper chromatography. The principal neutral oligosaccharide contained GalNAcol: GlcNAc: Gal: Fuc (1:1:2:1). Using a combination of exoglycosidase digestion, periodate oxidation and methylation analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, it structure was determined to be: Gal beta 1 leads to 4 GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 3 (Fuc alpha 1 leads to 2 Gal 1 leads to 6)GalNAcol.