An insight on the <i>N</i>‐glycome of notochordal cell‐rich porcine nucleus pulposus during maturation

Degeneration of the intervertebral disc is an age-related condition. It also accompanies disappearance notochordal cells, which are remnants developmental stages nucleus pulposus (NP). Molecular changes such as extracellular matrix catabolism, cellular phenotype, and glycosaminoglycan loss in NP have been extensively studied. However, one most significant co- posttranslational modifications, glycosylation has overlooked cells degeneration. Here, we aim to characterize N-glycome young mature identify patterns related aging. Accordingly, isolated N-glycans from cell-rich porcine discs, characterized them using a combined approach exoglycosidase digestions analysis with hydrophilic interaction ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. We assigned over 300 individual for each age group. Moreover, observed notable abundance antennary structures, galactosylation, fucosylation, sialylation both groups. In addition, indicated our results, increasing outer arm fucosylation decreasing α(2,3)-linked aging suggest that these traits age-dependent. Lastly, focused on extensive characterization without inferred degeneration, describing specific only. Our findings combination those other studies, degeneration does not involve identical processes