CAENORHABDITIS ELEGANS AS A MODEL FOR GLYCOMICS

Boston University Medical Campus, Boston MA

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Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. C. elegans is being developed as a comparative glycomics platforms for the analysis N-glycans (NLO) and O-glycans (OLO), and glycolipid released glycans (GLO). This is the first higher organism for which there is a complete description of its genome, anatomy and development. The structures of its major NLOs, OLOs, and GLOs GAGs have been documented and there are mutants available with genetic deficiencies in each major pathway where glycan structural differences and other associated phenotypes have been observed. Many of these differences have been demonstrated in our hands using conventional glycomics methods. We are working to improve on conventional methods by the development of quantitative comparative glycomics platforms for the analysis of free glycans and glycopeptides. We are undertaking the glycomics analysis of C. elegans for which there is considerable interest as a model in the study of metabolic diseases of glycosylation, ageing, development and host-pathogen interaction, all processes where glycosylation is important. We have characterized many of the N- and O-linked glycans and have found novel structures in each. In the next phase of the studies, we are concentrating on the glycolipids.