The sialoglycoproteins of murine erythrocyte ghosts. A modified periodic acid-Schiff stain procedure staining nonsubstituted and O-acetylated sialyl residues on glycopeptides.

Murine erythrocyte ghosts (from DBA/2, CD-1, and B6D2 strains) contain significant amounts of O-acetylated sialyl residues, which are slowly oxidized by periodate. Sialic acids have been purified from murine erythrocyte ghosts and the existence of O-acetylated sialic acids has been confirmed: 1) by assaying with the Warren procedure before and after de-O-acetylation with 0.1 N NaOH for 45 min at 4 degrees C; 2) by thin layer chromatography on cellulose; and 3) by gas-liquid chromatography. Because these sialyl residues are unevenly distributed on the sialoglycoproteins of murine erythrocyte ghosts, the periodic acid-Schiff staining detects only one major sialoglycoprotein. A modification of the periodic acid-Schiff stain method removes these O-acetyl groups after electrophoresis and reveals two additional sialoglycoproteins which bear the majority of the O-acetylated sialyl residues. Rat erythrocyte ghosts have similar residues on one of their two sialoglycoproteins. Ghosts of human, rabbit, and guinea pig erythrocytes do not contain detectable amounts of O-acetylated sialyl residues.