Convenient analytical methods for endo-type glycosidase that acts on glycoconjugates and their application in glycotechnology

The following procedures were established in order to develop useful degradation enzymes of glycoconjugate for developing postgenome and postproteome research: (1) Enzyme activity with a short time reliability was measured using small amounts by HPLC. (2) The structures of the sugar chains liberated from the glycoconjugate were non-destructively analyzed using small amounts of sugar chains only by 1D H-1-NMR and H-H COSY spectrometry and a computer simulation of the spectrum. (3) The conformations of the sugar chains liberated from a glycoconjugate in aqueous solution were estimated using 1D H-1-NMR and H-H COSY spectrometry and the anisotropic effect. Endo-alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminidase from the culture medium of Streptomyces sp. OH-11242 developed using the above methods transferred the sugar chain to sugars and peptides; therefore, it was also an effective enzyme when synthesizing sugar chains and glycopeptides.