Difucosyllacto-N-hexaose (A) in Glycobiology Research (CAS 64396-27-6)

At the forefront of the intersection of glycobiology and biomedicine, complex carbohydrates are no longer just a source of energy or structural support—they are a sophisticated language for cell-to-cell communication and a potential target for disease diagnosis and treatment. DIFUCOSYLLACTO-N-HEXAOSE (A) is just such a key. It helps us interpret highly specific glycosylation signals in living organisms and provides indispensable core raw materials and tool molecules for infection immunity, cancer research, drug development and diagnostic reagent design.

Basic information on chemistry

Chemical name: Eicosyllactose-N-hexose (A)

English name: DIFUCOSYLLACTO-N-HEXAOSE (A)

CAS number: 64396-27-6

Molecular formula: C₅₂H₈₈N₂O₃₉

Molecular weight: 1365.25 g/mol

Structural characteristics and biochemical significance

Eicosyllactose-N-hexose (A) is one of the core members of the lactose-N-hexose series. It is a branched oligosaccharide with a clear structure and specific sequence. Its molecular architecture has the following outstanding features:

Precise branched structure: This molecule uses lactose (Galβ1-4Glc) as the core skeleton, extending to form a hexasaccharide unit containing N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), galactose (Gal) and key fucose (Fuc) modifications. Its "difucosylation" feature (i.e., the "Difucosyl-" prefix) specifically refers to two fucose residues connected at specific positions. This modification greatly enhances the specificity and affinity of its biorecognition.

Important antigenic determinant: This structure is the core component of a variety of blood group antigens (such as Lewis series antigens, especially Lewis x/y and its derivatives) and key sugar epitopes on cell surface glycosphingolipids or glycoproteins. Its three-dimensional spatial conformation can be accurately recognized by specific lectins, antibodies or microbial adhesion proteins.

Information encoding carrier: The complexity of the sugar chain lies in the fact that its monosaccharide sequence, connection method and branch structure are like a "sugar code". The precise sequence represented by eicosyllactosyl-N-hexose (A) plays the role of a "molecular zip code" in cell-cell interactions, immune responses, pathogen infection, and signal transduction.

Main applications and core values

1. A powerful tool for host-pathogen interaction and anti-infection research

Many bacteria, viruses and their toxins achieve adhesion and invasion by recognizing specific sugar chain structures on the surface of host cells. Eicosalacto-N-hexose (A), a known receptor analogue, is the gold standard tool for studying this process:

Mechanism study: It can be used to explore the specific binding mechanism of adhesion proteins (such as lectins) of pathogens such as Helicobacter pylori, influenza virus, and rotavirus.

Competitive inhibitor development: As a high-affinity ligand, it provides lead compounds and design templates for the development of anti-adhesion therapies (new antibacterial/antiviral strategies) based on sugar structures.

2. Probes for research on immune regulation and inflammatory diseases

This sugar chain is an important ligand for cell adhesion molecules such as selectins (such as E-selectin, P-selectin), and participates in leukocyte homing and recruitment to inflammatory sites:

Inflammation model construction: used to study the interaction between leukocytes and endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo, and to analyze the molecular basis of acute and chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases.

Drug Target Validation: Used as a standard to screen and evaluate candidate anti-inflammatory drugs that can block this interaction.

3. Cornerstone of cancer biology and marker discovery

Abnormal glycosylation is a common feature of malignant tumors. The antigenic epitope corresponding to eicosyllactose-N-hexose (A) shows specific and high expression on a variety of cancer cells:

Tumor marker research: used to develop detection antibodies or probes targeting specific carbohydrate antigens to facilitate early diagnosis and classification of cancer.

Exploration of metastasis mechanism: Cancer cells promote hematogenous metastasis through the interaction between surface sugar chains and host selectins and other molecules. This product is a key molecular tool for studying this process.

New targets for immunotherapy: These tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens can be used as potential targets for new immunotherapies such as CAR-T and antibody drugs.

4. Core standards for basic research and reagent development in glycobiology

Enzyme analysis: As a substrate or inhibitor of specific glycosyltransferases (such as fucosyltransferase) or glycoside hydrolases, it is used for enzyme activity determination, kinetic studies and inhibitor screening.

Binding analysis: used to evaluate the binding specificity and affinity of lectins, antibodies or receptor proteins (such as SPR, ELISA, glycochip technology), and is an indispensable reference molecule for the development of related kits.

Structural biology: Provide uniform, high-purity ligands for analyzing the structure of sugar-protein complexes through X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

Conclusion: Bridging structure, function and the future of glycoscience

From microscopic pathogen invasion to macroscopic tumor metastasis, from basic cell communication to cutting-edge immunotherapy, sugar chain-mediated recognition events are everywhere. Eicosyllactose-N-hexose (A) is not just a compound, it is a accurately interpreted "glycocode of life" and a solid bridge connecting the sugar chain structure and complex biological functions.

The above information is provided by the editor of KASONS and is for scientific research only.