Unravelling the structural complexity of glycolipids with cryogenic infrared spectroscopy
Abstract
Glycolipids are complex glycoconjugates composed of a glycan headgroup and a lipid moiety. Their modular biosynthesis creates a vast amount of diverse and often isomeric structures, which fulfill highly specific biological functions. To date, no gold-standard analytical technique can provide a comprehensive structural elucidation of complex glycolipids, and insufficient tools for isomer distinction can lead to wrong assignments. Herein we use cryogenic gas-phase infrared spectroscopy to systematically investigate different kinds of isomerism in immunologically relevant glycolipids. We show that all structural features, including isomeric glycan headgroups, anomeric configurations and different lipid moieties, can be unambiguously resolved by diagnostic spectroscopic fingerprints in a narrow spectral range. The results allow for the characterization of isomeric glycolipid mixtures and biological applications.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 22, 2021
- Source ID
- 10.1038/s41467-021-21480-1
Entities
People
- Andreas Zappe
- Carla Kirschbaum
- Eike Mucha
- Gerard Meijer
- Gert Von Helden
- Kevin Pagel
- Kim Greis
- Lisa Kain
- Luc Teyton
- Mateusz Marianski
- Paul B. Savage
- Sandy Gewinner
- Shenglou Deng
- Wieland Schöllkopf
Organizations
- Army Research Office
- German National Academic Foundation
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- National Research Fund Luxembourg
- United States Department of Health and Human Services
- Verband der Chemischen Industrie