Abstract: | Prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase was isolated from sheep seminal vesicles. Sugar analysis of the glycoprotein revealed the presence of mannose and N-acetylglucosamine only. The carbohydrate moiety was released from the polypeptide backbone by hydrazinolysis. After re-N-acetylation and reduction, the resulting mixture of oligosaccharide-alditols was fractionated on Bio-Gel P-4 and their structures were investigated by 500-MHz1H-NMR spectroscopy. The carbohydrate chains turned out to be of the oligomannoside type containing six to nine mannose residues. The largest and most abundant compound was established to be: (formula; see text) For the smaller structures heterogeneity occurs with respect to the outer alpha(1----2)-linked mannose residues. Furthermore, a small amount of Man6GlcNAc-ol (artefact of the hydrazinolysis procedure) was detected by 1H-NMR spectroscopy and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. |