APPLICATION OF PERIODATE OXIDIZED GLUCANS TO BIOCHEMICAL REACTIONS

Periodate oxidation of glucans afforded a dialdehyde structure, which was highly reactive with various compounds containing amino groups. A covalent Schiff base linkage was readily formed at the alkaline pH of 8-9 and cyclodextrin dialdehyde gave both positively and negatively charged derivatives upon incubation with hexamethylenediamine and epsilon-aminocaproic acid, respectively. Binding of the amino group containing a fluorescent probe of ethylenediaminonaphthalene yielded fluorescent glycogen, which was hydrolyzed with Taka-amylase A. By gel filtration with a Bio-Gel P-2 column, hydrolyzed oligosaccharides containing a fluorescent probe were strongly retained to the column. Dextran dialdehyde was useful in producing a covalent linkage with trypsin under very mild conditions, and the enzyme-dextran complex formed was recovered in a high-molecular weight and active form. Thus, various glucan dialdehydes may serve as useful cross-linking reagents for enzymes.