Chemical characterization of milk oligosaccharides of the tiger quoll (Dasyurus maculatus), a marsupial

Milk oligosaccharides were separated from the carbohydrate fraction of milk of the tiger quoll a species of marsupial that is closely related to the eastern quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus. They were characterized by H-1 - nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and matrix - assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The following oligosaccharides were identified; Gal(beta 1-3) Gal(beta 1-4) Glc, Gal(beta 1-3) Gal(beta 1-3) Gal(beta 1-4) Glc, Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-4) Glc, Gal(beta 1-3) Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-4) Glc, Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-3) Gal(beta 1-4) Glc, Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-3) Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-4) Glc, Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-4) Glc, Neu5Ac(alpha 2-3) Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-4) Glc, Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-4) Glc with an alpha(2-3) Neu5Ac linked to beta(1-4) Gal residue of either branch of Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6) units, and Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-4) Glc with a beta(1-3) linked Gal and an alpha(2-3) linked Neu5Ac. In addition, larger oligosaccharides were characterized as follows; Gal(beta 1-3){Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)} Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-4) Glc and Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)] Gal(beta 1-3){Gal(beta 1-3)[Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 16)] Gal(beta 1-4) GlcNAc(beta 1-6)} Gal(beta 1-4) Glc and their alpha(2-3) linked Neu5Ac derivatives