Lactose-N-difucohexaose I: Precision sugar chains for cutting-edge biomedicine CAS: 16789-38-1

In the era of intersection of glycobiology and precision medicine, complex oligosaccharides, as key information carriers in life, are increasingly becoming core targets for innovative drug development and disease mechanism research. LACTO-N-DIFUCOHEXAOSE I (lactose-N-difucohexaose I) is just such a representative carbohydrate compound with precise structure and important functions. It not only exists in a variety of glycoconjugates (such as glycoproteins and glycolipids) in the human body, but also participates in core life processes such as cell recognition, signal transduction and immune regulation. It is also a valuable tool molecule and potential drug lead structure for cutting-edge research in the fields of oncology, immunotherapy, infectious diseases and reproductive biology.

Chemical Information

Chemical name: Lacto-N-difucohexaose I

Common name: Lactose-N-difucohexaose I

Chemical formula: C₃₈H₆₅NO₂₉

Molecular weight: 999.92 g/mol

CAS number: 16789-38-1

Structural features: exquisite “sugar code”

LACTO-N-DIFUCOHEXAOSE I belongs to the human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) and blood group antigen-related oligosaccharide family. Its structure contains rich biological information:

Core skeleton: Starting from lactose (Galβ1-4Glc), it extends to form a type I core structure (Galβ1-3GlcNAc), which is the basis of many epithelial cell surface carbohydrate antigens.

Key fucose modification: The molecule contains two fucose residues, connected to specific galactose (Gal) and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) sites via α1-2 and α1-4 bonds. This fucosylation is a decisive factor in its biological activity.

Structural isomerism: The difference from similar oligosaccharides (such as Lacto-N-difucohexaose II) lies in the connection position and order of fucose. This slight difference may correspond to completely different receptor binding specificities and biological functions, reflecting the subtlety of the "sugar code".

Three-dimensional conformation: Its branched structure and multiple hydroxyl groups allow it to form a specific spatial conformation in water, which can accurately match the binding pockets of protein receptors such as selectins and lectins.

Main applications and value

1. New strategies for tumor research and cancer diagnosis and treatment

Tumor markers and detection: This structure is the precursor or component of multiple blood group antigens (such as Lewis a/b, sialyl Lewis x/a, etc.). These antigens are abnormally highly expressed in various cancers (gastrointestinal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, etc.) and are important tumor diagnostic markers.

Research on the mechanism of cancer cell metastasis: The sialyl Lewis x antigen derived from it is the ligand of E-selectin and P-selectin, mediating the adhesion of cancer cells and vascular endothelial cells, which is a key step in the hematogenous metastasis of cancer cells. LACTO-N-DIFUCOHEXAOSE I can be used to perform competitive inhibition experiments, receptor binding assays, in-depth elucidation of transfer mechanisms and screening of blockers.

Targeted therapy and imaging: New drug conjugates or nanocarriers developed based on this oligosaccharide structure can achieve active targeted delivery to tumor tissues that highly express corresponding sugar receptors, improving efficacy and reducing side effects.

2. Immune regulation and inflammatory diseases

Host-pathogen interaction: Many pathogens (such as Helicobacter pylori, norovirus) achieve adhesion and infection by recognizing similar fucosylated oligosaccharide structures on the surface of host cells. LACTO-N-DIFUCOHEXAOSE I is an ideal molecular tool to study this interaction and can be used to develop anti-infectious inhibitors ("sugar baits").

Immune cell regulation: Specific selectin-sugar ligand interactions regulate processes such as lymphocyte homing and leukocyte recruitment to inflammatory sites. Research on this product could help develop new anti-inflammatory drugs to treat autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.

3. Reproductive biology and infant and child health

Functional study of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs): As important members of the HMO family, these oligosaccharides play a central role in infant intestinal health, probiotic colonization, resistance to pathogens, and immune system development. LACTO-N-DIFUCOHEXAOSE I is a standardized reference material for studying its specific mechanism of action.

Reproductive tract microenvironment: Sugar antigens with similar structures are enriched on the surface of the reproductive tract mucosa and may be involved in processes such as sperm-egg recognition and immune tolerance. They are important materials for infertility and reproductive immunology research.

4. Drug R&D and Biotechnology

Sugar chip construction: As a high-purity, well-defined oligosaccharide, it is the core raw material for preparing functional sugar chips, which can be used for high-throughput screening of sugar-binding proteins (lectins, antibodies, viruses, etc.) to accelerate drug discovery.

Substrate for enzymatic research: It is an ideal substrate or inhibitor for studying the activity and specificity of key glycosylases such as fucosyltransferases (FUTs) and glycosidases. It is crucial for understanding diseases related to abnormal synthesis and degradation of sugar chains.

Standardized reagents and quality control: Provide essential structural standards and quality control references for the development of diagnostic kits, antibody drugs or vaccines targeting related carbohydrate antigens.

Conclusion

From "identity tags" on cell surfaces to "regulatory switches" in disease processes, from "portals" for pathogen invasion to "navigation beacons" for new drugs, complex oligosaccharides are at the forefront of biomedical innovation. LACTO-N-DIFUCOHEXAOSE I, as a "key" with precise structure, will help you unlock the deep mechanism mysteries of glycobiology in the fields of cancer, immunity, infection and development, and lay a solid material foundation for the development of the next generation of sugar-targeted diagnostic tools, therapeutic drugs and preventive vaccines.

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