Profiling pneumococcal type 3-derived oligosaccharides by high resolution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

•Pneumococcal type 3 polysaccharide (PnP3) is depolymerized.•Pn3P derived oligosacchides are separated by liquid chromatography (LC).•Hydrophilic interaction LC and reverse phase LC are used in their separation.•LC–mass spectrometry (MS) analysis determined oligosaccharide composition.•LC–tandem MS analysis determined oligosaccharide sequence.

Pneumococcal type-3 polysaccharide (Pn3P) is considered a major target for the development of a human vaccine to protect against Streptococcus pneumoniae infection. Thus, it is critical to develop methods for the preparation and analysis of Pn3P-derived oligosaccharides to better understand its immunological properties. In this paper, we profile oligosaccharides, generated by the free radical depolymerization of Pn3P, using liquid chromatography (LC)–tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Hydrophilic liquid interaction chromatography (HILIC)–mass spectrometry (MS) revealed a series of oligosaccharides with an even- and odd-number of saccharide residues, ranging from monosaccharide, degree of polymerization (dp1) to large oligosaccharides up to dp 20, generated by free radical depolymerization. Isomers of oligosaccharides with an even number of sugar residues were easily separated on a HILIC column, and their sequences could be distinguished by comparing MS/MS of these oligosaccharides and their reduced alditols. Fluorescent labeling with 2-aminoacridone (AMAC) followed by reversed phase (RP)-LC–MS/MS was applied to analyze and sequence poorly separated product mixtures, as RP-LC affords higher resolution of AMAC-labeled oligosaccharides than does HILIC-based separation. The present methodology can be potentially applied to profiling other capsular polysaccharides.