Syntheses of oligosaccharides using cell function

The authors developed a method of synthesis of oligosaccharides using cell function. By administering the saccharide primer that is amphiphilic alkylglycoside into cell culture medium, glycosylated products were collected from the medium after 1-2 days. The sequences of the products were dependent on the biosynthetic pathway of sugars in the cells. By combining the saccharide primer and cell lines, it was possible to synthesize many kinds of oligosaccharides. The introduction of a functional group in an alkyl chain of saccharide primer made it possible to polymerize and immobilize to solid support. The saccharide primer method is expected to become a new methodology for glycomics.