<strong>ProfilerPro</strong> <strong>Glycan</strong> <strong>Profiling</strong> Kit, Ver 2, <strong>User</strong> <strong>Guide</strong>Analyzing DataAssignment of Size and Identification of Peaks in the ElectropherogramThe LabChip GX software analyzes the electropherograms, assigning a size (among other things) to eachobserved peak. It may not be intuitively obvious what this size means given that glycan molecules with thesame mass can sometimes have very different apparent electrophorectic mobility. During the labeling process,the glycans are derivatized with a charged fluorophore. The electrophorectic mobility of each glycan in ourspecific separation medium is dependent on its charge, mass, and structure—where structural elements suchas monosaccharide composition (mannose,glucose, galactose), glycosidic linkageposition (C2, C3, C4, C6), and anomercity(α- vs β-) have been shown to affectelectrophorectic mobility. Considering thesecomplexities, the size that the softwareassigns does not have a direct physicalmeaning, like the size of a DNA molecule inbase pairs or the size of a protein inDaltons. Rather, the sizes assigned toglycan peaks by the LabChip GX relate themigration time of each peak to the migrationtime of the glucose peaks in the glycanladder. It is a way of normalizing themigration time of each peak so that resultscan be more easily compared acrossdifferent runs, different instruments, differentreagent lots, etc.As an example, if a peak has a migrationtime half way between the 9-mer and 10-mer α(1-6)-linked glucoseoligosaccharides in the ladder, that peakwill be assigned a size of 9.5 CaliperGlucose Units (CGU). These units arespecific to the particular gel separationmatrix and the fluorophore that areprovided in the <strong>ProfilerPro</strong> <strong>Glycan</strong><strong>Profiling</strong> kits. They may not correspond toGlucose Units assigned by other analysismethods.The LabChip GX software allows the userto assign names to peaks based on theirsize. If you observe that the G0f peak inyour sample has a size of 9.3 CGU, youcan name the peak “G0f” using theAnalysis Settings dialog, Expected <strong>Glycan</strong>tab.The Ladder is a mixture of α(1-6)-linked glucose oligosaccharideswith various number of monomeric glucose units. Lower Marker (LM)and ladder peaks used for sizing (L) annotated with CGU units. TheLower Marker is maltohexaose which runs with a size of 6.6 CGU.Example of two standard curves that relate migration time to size in CaliperGlucose Units (CGU).Caliper Life Sciences Page 8 of 21 PN: 45070968 Elm StreetHopkinton, MA 01748-16681-877-LABCHIP (522-2447)
<strong>ProfilerPro</strong> <strong>Glycan</strong> <strong>Profiling</strong> Kit, Ver 2, <strong>User</strong> <strong>Guide</strong>Identifying peaks by comigration with known <strong>Glycan</strong> StandardsIt is sometimes interesting to compare the migration time of peaks observed in your samples to the migrationtime of known glycan standards, to help identify the peaks in your samples. When running glycan standards it isimportant that the buffer the standards are presented in is closely matched to the buffer your samples arepresented in. If the buffers are not well matched, the migration time of the standards may not correspond to themigration time of your sample. A simple method to achieve matched buffers is to label your standards using thereagents from the <strong>Glycan</strong> Release and Labeling kit, similar to the method used to prepare your test samples,but eliminating the denaturing and digestion incubation steps as shown in the diagram below. Any dilutions ofthe standards prior to addition in the Denaturing Plate should be done with molecular grade water.No incubation.No incubation.Label for2hrs at 55C.8μL standardsampleTransfer ~11μLof denature.Transfer 8μLof digest.Reconstituteand run.Denaturing Plate PNGase F Plate Dye Plate LabChip GXIILMG0G0fG2Man5G1f’’G1fG2fExample showing a mix of glycan standards compared to an IgG sample, run in well matched buffers.Blue = IgG, Red = Mix of six glycan standards (Man5, G0, G0f, G1f, G2, G2f). The standards were runat about 50 ng/µl concentration.Caliper Life Sciences Page 9 of 21 PN: 45070968 Elm StreetHopkinton, MA 01748-16681-877-LABCHIP (522-2447)