Exploring Cerebrospinal Fluid IgG N-Glycosylation as Potential Biomarker for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disease for which the existing candidate biomarkers (neurofilaments) have low specificity. Changes in blood IgG N-glycosylation have been observed in several diseases, including ALS, whereas cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IgG has been less studied. Here, we characterized N-glycans of CSF IgG from ALS patients in comparison with a control group of other neurological diseases.

N-Glycosylation of Extracellular Vesicles from HEK-293 and Glioma Cell Lines.

Cells release vesicles to the surroundings, the extracellular vesicles (EVs), which may transmit biomolecules to other cells, and are found in bodily fluids, thus constituting emerging biomarker targets. Many studies on EV nucleic acid, lipid, and protein composition are available; however, detailed characterization of protein glycosylation has been less approached. Here, we describe a strategy for high-resolution quantitative profiling and structure elucidation of N-glycans from EV glycoproteins of three cell lines: human HEK-293, human glioma H4 and mouse glioma Tu-2449.

Phosphoneurofilament heavy chain and N-glycomics from the cerebrospinal fluid in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Background: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of the motor neuron for which no clinically validated biomarkers have been identified.

Methods: We have quantified by ELISA the biomarker phosphoneurofilament heavy chain (pNFH) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of ALS patients (n=29) and age-matched control patients with other diseases (n=19) by ELISA. Furthermore, we compared protein N-glycosylation of the CSF in ALS patients and controls, by applying a glycomics approach based on liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.

Sialoglycoproteins and N-glycans from secreted exosomes of ovarian carcinoma cells.

Exosomes consist of vesicles that are secreted by several human cells, including tumor cells and neurons, and they are found in several biological fluids. Exosomes have characteristic protein and lipid composition, however, the results concerning glycoprotein composition and glycosylation are scarce. Here, protein glycosylation of exosomes from ovarian carcinoma SKOV3 cells has been studied by lectin blotting, NP-HPLC analysis of 2-aminobenzamide labeled glycans and mass spectrometry.

Changes in the hemagglutinin of H5N1 viruses during human infection--influence on receptor binding.

As avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses continue to circulate in Asia and Africa, global concerns of an imminent pandemic persist. Recent experimental studies suggest that efficient transmission between humans of current H5N1 viruses only requires a few genetic changes. An essential step is alteration of the virus hemagglutinin from preferential binding to avian receptors for the recognition of human receptors present in the upper airway.