Rapid removal of N-linked oligosaccharides using microwave assisted enzyme catalyzed deglycosylation

The removal of N-linked oligosaccharides from glycoproteins is commonly performed during the preparation of samples for mass spectrometry. A reduction in the protein's structural heterogeneity is sometimes essential to obtain a mass for the intact protein. Alternatively, removal of the sugar may be desired to facilitate oligosaccharide analysis. A typical approach to deglycosylation employs overnight digestion with the enzyme peptide N-glycosidase F (PNGase F). We report a method for the accelerated removal of N-linked oligosaccharides using PNGase F assisted by microwave irradiation. Complete deglycosylation was achieved in less than 30 min for most proteins without compromising the integrity of protein samples. This method was tested on a variety of glycoproteins, including antibodies, at the microgram level.