Structure of N-glycosidic carbohydrates of secretory proteins of Tetrahymena thermophila

Glycoproteins secreted by Tetrahymena into the culture medium were isolated and the N-glycosidic oligosaccharides analyzed using lectin blots and fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate get electrophoresis (FACE). Lectin blots showed that the glycoproteins secreted by Tetrahymena contain only N-glycosidic structures of the high mannose type. Further analysis using the FACE technology revealed the presence of four different N-glycosidic structures differing only in the number of mannose residues attached to the core chitobiose unit.