Glycomics Using Mass Spectrometry

Mass spectrometry (MS), which has advanced rapidly in recent years, is expected to become the tool of choice for high-throughput analysis of relationships between structures and functions of glycans. The structural analysis of glycans using MS employs a number of methods for pretreatment, derivatization, and interpretation. However, since none of these are universally applicable, researchers have to choose the most suitable method for their purpose on a case-bycase basis. MS can be used not only for structural analysis, but also for interaction analysis. Methods of analyzing glycomics using MS are still under development, and further improvement or reinforcements and interfaces with other reinforcing methodologies are expected in the future. Rather than developing a complex device or technique that must be assigned to highly trained specialists, the key to further advances in this field is to develop a technology that can be comfortably adopted by a wide range of bioresearchers. A. Introduction Since the development of genomics and proteomics, new words with the suffix "-omics" have appeared in many fields of biological science. The technologies they represent involve a comprehensive and high-throughput analysis of whole organisms, rather than a fine characterization of individual molecules. This trend has given rise to the use of the word "glycomics" in the glycoscience field. Glycomics generally means high-throughput analysis of relationships between structures and functions of glycans (1). Glycomics consists of three parts: structural analysis of glycans, study of interactions between glycans and counter molecules, and glyco-informatics. All three of these areas are undergoing revolutionary development. Glycomics does not focus on the discovery of novel and rare structures of glycans. The functions of glycans are still poorly understood even for wellknown structures. It is generally believed that glycans only attain biological functionality by forming glycoconjugates in which the glycans become attached to particular proteins or 要 約 近年、長 足の進歩 を遂げた質量分析計(MS)は、グ ライコ ミクス、す なわち糖鎖の構造 と機能との関連性 をハイスルー プットに解析するためのツールとして期待されている。MSを 用いた糖鎖構造解析については、こ の数年の間にさまざまな 前処理法、誘 導体化法、解 析手法が報告 されてきたが、ど の ような場合 にも使 えるユニバーサルな方法 はなく、研 究 目的 に応 じて最適な方法 を選択する必要がある。ま た、MSは 構造 解析だけでなく相互作用解析 にも利用できる。MSに よるグラ イコミクスは発展途上にある技術であ り、さ らなる改良や充 実が望 まれるが、一 般のバ イオ研究者にも抵抗 なく受け入れ られるテクノロジーとすることが、こ の分野の発展の鍵を握