Two-dimensional mapping by the high-performance liquid chromatography of oligosaccharides released from glycosphingolipids by endoglycoceramidase

A two-dimensional sugar mapping method has been developed by which sensitive, reproducible, and simple analysis can be carried out on the structures and compositions of oligosaccharides released from glycosphingolipids by endoglycoceramidase. The oligosaccharides were labeled quantitatively with an ultraviolet-absorbing compound, p-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester (ABEE). The ABEE-oligosaccharides were separated first on an amide-silica column and then on a C4-silica column by high-performance liquid chromatography. The acidic ABEE-oligosaccharides were eluted as a group at the start of the chromatography while the neutral ABEE-oligosaccharides were separated according to size and structure on an amide-silica column using an eluent without salt. The acidic oligosaccharides were separated according to size and structure when rechromatographed on the same column using an eluent containing KH₂PO₄. NeuAc-containing ABEE-oligosaccharides were extensively separated from the corresponding NeuGc derivatives. The ABEE-oligosaccharides separated on an amide-silica column were then chromatographed on a column of C4-silica on which lactotriose and neolacto-series oligosaccharides were clearly shown to be separated from the others. On the basis of the retention times of the individual ABEE-oligosaccharides on two separate columns, 9 neutral and 15 acidic oligosaccharides derived from glycosphingolipid standards were two-dimensionally mapped without over-lapping. The gangliosides of a human chondrosarcoma tissue and glycosphingolipids of tumor tissue of FBJ virus-transformed murine osteosarcoma cells were analyzed by this method in conjunction with exoglycosidase treatment. At least 11 species of glycosphingolipids were identified in both cases.