Chemical characterization of milk oligosaccharides of the tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), a marsupial

Abstract

Milk oligosaccharides were separated from the carbohydrate fraction of milk of the tiger quoll a species of marsupial that is closely related to the eastern quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus. They were characterized by 1H – nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and matrix – assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The following oligosaccharides were identified; Gal(β1–3)Gal(β1–4)Glc, Gal(β1–3)Gal(β1–3)Gal(β1–4)Glc, Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)Glc, Gal(β1–3)Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)Glc, Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–3)Gal(β1–4)Glc, Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–3)Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)Glc, Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)Glc, Neu5Ac(α2–3) Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)Glc, Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)Glc with an α(2–3)Neu5Ac linked to β(1–4)Gal residue of either branch of Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6) units, and Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)Glc with a β(1–3) linked Gal and an α(2–3) linked Neu5Ac. In addition, larger oligosaccharides were characterized as follows; Gal(β1–3){Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)}Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)Glc and Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–3){Gal(β1–3)[Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)]Gal(β1–4)GlcNAc(β1–6)}Gal(β1–4)Glc and their α(2–3) linked Neu5Ac derivatives.