The Use of Fast-atom-bombardment and Laser Desorption Mass-spectrometry in the Analysis of Complex Carbohydrates

Oligosaccharides occurring free in secretions or bound to lipid or protein, are known to modulate the biological response in many living systems. The structural characterization of these highly diverse oligosaccharides, that may be further complicated by the occurrence of non-carbohydrate substituents such as alkyl, acyl, sulfate, or phosphate groups, for example, represents the first step towards a rational approach that is able to relate structure to function. The structural delineation of carbohydrate residues at defined sites of attachment is especially important in recombinant glycoproteins because the type and extend of glycosylation affect their biological properties. In recent years the development of soft ionization procedures and the increase in mass range above 10,000 mass units at full acceleration, together with the development of highly sensitive detectors, has allowed the analysis of glycans containing more than 30 sugar units in the nano- and subnanomolar range.