Structural characterization of the N-glycans of a recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen derived from yeast

The N-glycans of purified recombinant middle surface protein (preS2+S) from hepatitis B virus, a candidate vaccine antigen expressed in a mnn9 mutant strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have been characterized structurally. The glycans were released by N-glycanase treatment, isolated by size-exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-50 and Bio-Gel P-4 columns, and analyzed by 500-MHz {sup 1}H NMR spectroscopy and fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. The mixture of oligosaccharides was fractionated by HPLC, the major subfractions were isolated, and their carbohydrate compositions were determined by high-pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. The combined results suggest that high-mannose oligosaccharides account for all the N-glycans released from preS2+S: structures include Man{sub 7}GlcNAc{sub 2}, Man{sub 8}GlcNAc{sub 2} isomers in the ratios of 3:6:1. Approximately 80% of the oligosaccharides contain the C2, C6-branched trimannosyl structural element typical of yeast high-mannose oligosaccharides but not usually found in high-mannose oligosaccharides in animal glycoproteins.