Comparative analysis of transferrin and IgG N-glycosylation in two human populations

Irena Trbojević-Akmačić, Frano Vučković, Tea Pribić, Marija Vilaj, Urh Černigoj, Jana Vidič, Jelena Šimunović, Agnieszka Kępka, Ivana Kolčić, Lucija Klarić, Mislav Novokmet, Maja Pučić-Baković, Erdmann Rapp, Aleš Štrancar, Ozren Polašek, James F Wilson, Gordan Lauc

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Human plasma transferrin (Tf) N-glycosylation has been mostly studied as a marker for congenital disorders of glycosylation, alcohol abuse, and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, inter-individual variability of Tf N-glycosylation is not known, mainly due to technical limitations of Tf isolation in large-scale studies. Here, we present a highly specific robust high-throughput approach for Tf purification from human blood plasma and detailed characterization of Tf N-glycosylation on the level of released glycans by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography based on hydrophilic interactions and fluorescence detection (HILIC-UHPLC-FLD), exoglycosidase sequencing, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). We perform a large-scale comparative study of Tf and immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycosylation analysis in two human populations and demonstrate that Tf N-glycosylation is associated with age and sex, along with multiple biochemical and physiological traits. Observed association patterns differ compared to the IgG N-glycome corroborating tissue-specific N-glycosylation and specific N-glycans' role in their distinct physiological functions.

Original languageEnglish
Article number312
Number of pages13
JournalCommunications Biology
Volume6
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 23 Mar 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Humans
  • Glycosylation
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays
  • Immunoglobulin G/blood
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Transferrin/chemistry
  • Polysaccharides/analysis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Comparative analysis of transferrin and IgG N-glycosylation in two human populations'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this