Structural studies of the sugar chains of human parotid alpha-amylase.

Human parotid amylase can be separated into three families of isoenzymes (A', A, and B) by Sephadex G-75 column chromatography. Isoenzymes in family B were free from carbohydrate, while those in family A were all glycoproteins. The carbohydrate moieties of family A isoenzymes were released from their polypeptide portions by hydrazinolysis and labeled by reduction with NaB[3H]4. The yield of total radioactive oligosaccharides indicated that family A isoenzymes all contain single asparagine-linked sugar chains in one molecule. The radioactive oligosaccharides were fractionated into one acidic and two neutral oligosaccharide fractions by paper electrophoresis and paper chromatography. By sequential exoglycosidase digestion in combination with a methylation study, their structures were determined to be: Gal beta 1 leads to 4 (Fuc alpha 1 leads to 3)GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6[Gal beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 3)GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3]Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAc Gal beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 3)GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6 and 3[Gal beta 1 leads to 4 GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3 and 6]Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAc Gal beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 3) GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 6 (NeuAc alpha 2 leads to 6Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 2Man alpha 1 leads to 3)Man beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4(Fuc alpha 1 leads to 6)GlcNAc.