Jun-Rong Liang, Xin-Xin Ai, Ya-Hui Gao, Chang-Ping

Chen.J Appl Phycol, 2013. 25: 477-484.

The extracellular polysaccharides (ECPS) releasedby diatoms have

significant roles in marine ecosystems andhave potential applications including

drug-discovery and biopharmaceuticalprecursors. In this study, matrix-assisted

laserdesorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS)

technology was used in the structuralanalysis of the ECPS released byThalassiosira pseudonana(Bacillariophyta).

Three different deproteinization methods,the Sevag method, the trichloroacetic

acid (TCA) method,and the enzymolysis method, were compared in the

purificationof ECPS. Our results suggested that TCA was the bestdeproteinization

method among the three methods for subsequentMALDI-TOF MS investigation because

of its highECPS yield, protein removal ability and reliable MALDI-TOFMS

fingerprint. The degree of polymerization (d.p.)profiles, the molecular weight

of the ECPS and the distributionpattern of the polymers with different

molecular masswere described from the MALDI-TOFMS spectra. This workrepresents

the whole-level composition of the ECPS releasedby the diatom and has improved

our knowledge of the structuralcharacterization of ECPS.

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