A mass spectrometry-based glycotope-centric cellular glycomics is the more fruitful way forward to see the forest for the trees.

摘要: The nature of protein glycosylation renders cellular glycomics a very challenging task in having to deal with all the disparate glycans carried on membrane glycoproteins. Rapid mapping by mass spectrometry analysis provides only coarse sketch glycomic complexity based primarily glycosyl compositions, whereby missing high-resolution structural details require combination multi-mode separations and multi-stages induced fragmentation gain sufficiently discriminative precision, often at expenses throughput sensitivity. Given available technology foreseeable advances near future, homing resolving terminal fucosylated, sialylated and/or sulfated units, or glycotopes, maybe more pragmatic ultimately rewarding approach insights into myriad biological processes mediated these coding units important glycoproteins, be decoded host endogenous glycan-binding proteins antibodies. A broad overview recent technical limitations is first provided as backdrop propounded glycotope-centric advanced nanoLC-MS2/MS3 permethylated glycans. To prioritize analytical focus tangible glycotopes akin identifying eye-catching characteristic-defining flowers fruits glyco-forest, see forest for trees. It has best prospects attaining much-needed balance sensitivity, precision match other omics.