Strategy for Construction of Homogeneous Glycoproteins in Mammalian Cells

A general strategy that combines genetic code expansion with bio-orthogonal ligation techniques was developed and utilized to prepare homogeneously glycosylated receptors on the surface of mammalian cells. Using this approach, conjugates of the cell-surface oxytocin receptor (OTR) with oligosaccharides were efficiently generated in the cells. Cell studies revealed that glycans linked to the OTR are not essential for agonist-induced calcium flux and its internalization into cells via an OTR-mediated endocytosis.