Modification of galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine residues by oxidation of C-6 hydroxyls to the aldehydes followed by reductive amination: model systems and antifreeze glycoproteins.

ABSTRACT

Amino acids and peptides have been attached to the C-6 hydroxyls of the galactose and the N-acetylgalactosamine by first oxidizing the C-6 hydroxyls to the aldehydes by galactose oxidase in the presence of small amounts of catalase, followed by reductive amination (alpha-amino group) in the presence of cyanoborohydride. The activity of oxidized antifreeze glycoprotein was greater than 70% of the original, and considerable activity has been retained with some substitutions on reductive amination using cyanoborohydride. The following were some activities retained (as compared with the oxidized antifreeze glycoprotein) Gly, 64; (Gly)2, 88; (Gly)3, 82; (Gly)4, 70; Gly-Gly-NH2, 44; Gly-Glu, 13; Gly-Leu, 40; Gly-Tyr, 57; Gly-Gly-Leu, 50; Gly-Gly-Phe, 30; and Gly-Gly-Val, 35. On amino acid analysis of acid hydrolysates, some release of the amino acid attached by amination occurred; e.g., Gly-Tyr gave 0.26 Gly and 0.49 Tyr per disaccharide.