Abstract
A few colominic acid preparations and N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) oligomers derived thereof were analyzed by capillary zone electrophoresis with low-wavelength UV detection. Colominic acid homologues having degrees of polymerization (d.p.s) up to ca. 30 were separated to the baseline level, and homologues having a d.p.s of 30-40 were discriminated from each other using a 100cm capillary (50μm i.d.) and a 25mM phosphate buffer containing SDS to a concentration of 100mM as the carrier. A colominic acid preparation was hydrolyzed by a dilute acid (10mM HCl), an acidic buffer (50mM acetate buffer, pH 4.8) and neuraminidase from Arthrobacter ureafaciens; the products were then analyzed under the established conditions. The information from the obtained results will be useful for estimating NANA oligomers and polymers having a specified d.p.s, and for investigating the biosynthesis and metabolism of glycoconjugates containing these homologous oligosaccharides.
