Two new oligosaccharides obtained from an Lea-active glycoprotein.

The results of a further examination of the products of alkaline degradation of an Lea-bloodgroup-specific glycoprotein obtained from an ovarian-cyst fluid (Rege, Painter, Watkins & Morgan, 1964) have revealed the presence of two new oligosaccharides; their structure is based on the evidence given in this paper. A preparation ofLea-active glycoprotein [no. 579, 21g.; analytical values: fucose 2-9%, galactose 30.4%, N-acetylhexosamine 32.2% (molar ratio galactosamine: glucosamine 1:1.56) and amino acids 28%] was dissolved in 1100ml. of 0 044M-pOlyvinylbenzyltriethylammonium carbonate, pH 8-6, and continuously degraded and dialysed, as described by Marr, Donald, Watkins & Morgan (1967). The diffusible material (9g.) was fractionated on a column (84cm. x 3.5cm.) of Sephadex G-15 with water as eluent. The fractions were examined by paper chromatography (Whatman no. 40 paper was used throughout the experimental work) with ethyl acetate-pyridine-water (10:4:3, by vol.) (solventa) and pooled on the basis of their chromatographic behaviour. Sugar fragments having Riactose values between 0 09 and 1-1 were recovered (3.2g.) and fractionated further on a column (51cm. x 2-5 cm.) of charcoal-Celite (1:1, w/w) by using stepwise elution with aqueous-ethanol mixtures. The material (210mg.) obtained from the first litre of