13C-N.M.R.-spectral study of the pH behavior of reductively [13C]methylated,glycophorin a glyco-octapeptides and a related glycopentapeptide

The pH dependence of the labeled-carbon resonances of reductively [¹³C] methylated compounds tri-l-Ser, glyco-octapeptide A^M, asialoglyco-octapeptide A^M, glyco-octapeptide A^N, asialoglyco-octapeptide A^N, and a glycopentapeptide was investigated. The results are discussed relative to those previously observed for reductively [¹³C]methylated, intact glycophorins A^M and A^N, and in terms of the mode of display of the MN blood-group specificities by these related glycoproteins. The results indicated that the α-d-NeuAc groups appear to affect the pH-titration results of glyco-octapeptides A^M and A^N. Moreover, comparison of the pH-titration results for reductively [¹³C]methylated glyco-octapeptide A^M and reductively [¹³C]methylated asialoglyco-octapeptide A^M with those of a reductively [¹³C]methylated glycopentapeptide and reductively [¹³C]methylated tri-l-Ser indicated that the other carbohydrate residues present (α-d-GalNAc and β-d-Gal) may also affect the pH-titration results. The reductive-methylation modification appears to affect the chemical shifts of the carbohydrate and peptide carbon atoms of the glycopentapeptide minimally.