摘要:
The linkage region, GlcNAc beta Asn, is conserved in all eukaryotic N-glycoproteins. As a logical extension of a research endeavor aimed at understanding the structural significance of GlcNAc and Asn as the linkage region constituents, the newer analogs GlcNAc beta NHBu and (GlcNAc beta(1-4)GlcNAc)alkanamides have been synthesized to assess the influence of aglycon as well as additional GlcNAc on the linkage region. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the GlcNAc beta NHBu and (GlcNAc beta(1-4)GlcNAc)beta NHBu is described. Comparative analysis of these structures with those of reported models and analogs shows that the deviation in N-glycosidic torsion, phi(N) among the GlcNAc alkanamides is negligible (<2 degrees) whereas (GlcNAc beta(1-4) GlcNAc)beta NHBu deviates by similar to 15 degrees as compared to GlcNAc beta NHBu. Under the influence of the molecular packing, the conformation around the C1'-C2' bond deviates from anti to gauche in (GlcNAc beta(1-4)GlcNAc beta NHBu. Interestingly, C2-acetamido group in (GlcNAc beta(1-4)GlcNAc)NHBu orients differently as compared to GlcNAc alkanamides and this orientation was found to be almost similar to beta-N,N'-diacetyl-chitobiose trihydrate. The bifurcated anti-parallel pattern involving N-H center dot center dot center dot O and C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds, a hallmark feature of the N-glycoprotein models, GlcNAc beta NHAc and GlcNAc beta Asn, is absent in both the title alkanamides. This is the first report on the crystal structure analysis of chitobiosyl alkanamide as analog of the N-glycoprotein linkage region, (GlcNAc beta(1-4)GlcNAc)beta Asn. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.