nQuant Enables Precise Quantitative N‑Glycomics

N-glycosylation is a highly heterogeneous post-translational
modification
that modulates protein function. Defects in N-glycosylation are directly
linked to various human diseases. Despite the importance of quantifying
N-glycans with high precision, existing glycoinformatics tools are
limited. Here, we developed nQuant, a glycoinformatics tool that enables
label-free and isotopic labeling quantification of N-glycomics data
obtained via LC-MS/MS, ensuring a low false quantitation rate. Using
the label-free quantification module, we profiled the N-glycans released
from purified glycoproteins and HEK293 cells as well as the dynamic
changes of N-glycosylation during mouse corpus callosum development.
Through the isotopic labeling quantification module, we revealed the
dynamic changes of N-glycans in acute promyelocytic leukemia cells
after all-trans retinoic acid treatment. Taken together, we demonstrate
that nQuant enables fast and precise quantitative N-glycomics.