Carbohydrate composition of variant-specific surface antigen glycoproteins from Trypanosoma brucei

J Protozool. 1977 Nov;24(4):587-91. doi: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1977.tb01020.x.

Abstract

The carbohydrate of variant-specific surface antigen glycoproteins from bloodstream forms of 13 cloned variants of Trypanosoma brucei was analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. The glycoproteins contained from 6 to 17% carbohydrate by weight, and all contained the same 4 sugars: mannose, galactose, glucose, and glucosamine (probably as N-acetylglucosamine). The glycoprotein from variant 048, strain 427 contained (+20%) 11 mannose, 4 galactose, 4 glucose, and 5 glucosamine residues/mole of glycoprotein (molecular weight 65,000). Glucose was an intergral component of the glycoproteins, not dissociable by sodium dodecyl sulphate, 8 M urea, or 1 M acetic acid. Some of the glucose was dissociated by trichloroacetic acid. Most of the glycoproteins formed precipitin with concanavalin A in Ouchterlony double diffusion, but none formed such bands with wheat germ agglutinin or Ricinus communis lectin (molecular weight 120, 000).

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens / analysis*
  • Carbohydrates / analysis*
  • Chromatography, Gas
  • Galactose / analysis
  • Glucosamine / analysis
  • Glucose / analysis
  • Glycoproteins / analysis*
  • Mannose / analysis
  • Trypanosoma brucei brucei / analysis
  • Trypanosoma brucei brucei / immunology*

Substances

  • Antigens
  • Carbohydrates
  • Glycoproteins
  • Glucose
  • Glucosamine
  • Mannose
  • Galactose