Lectin-based structural glycomics: Glycoproteomics and glycan profiling

Structural glycomics (SG) plays a fundamental part of concurrent glycobiology aiming at comprehensive elucidation of glycan functions (i.e., functional glycomics) in the context of post-genome sciences. The SG project started in April 2003 and will continue for 3 years in the framework of NEDO ( New Energy and Industrial Technology Organization) under the METI ( the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry), Japan. The main purpose of the project is the development of high-throughput and robust machines, which should greatly contribute to the structural analysis of complex glycans. In this chapter, 2 major research items, i.e., ( 1) glycoproteomics, which enables comprehensive analysis of glycoproteins, and ( 2) "glycan profiling" by means of lectins, are described. For the latter, frontal affinity chromatography has been adopted as a starting tool for comprehensive analysis of the interaction of 100 lectins and 100 oligosaccharides under the concept of "hect-by-hect," which refers to 100 x 100.