Application of the negative mode electrospray ionization-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI QTOF) tandem MS for determination of substitution patterns by sialic acid and/or fucose and extention by additional LacNAc disaccharide units in single branches of multiantennary N-glycans from biological samples is described. Fragmentation patterns which can be obtained by low energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) using the QTOF instrument include cleavage ions, diagnostic for determination of antennarity and for specific structural features of single antennae. Systematic fragmentation studies in the negative ion mode were focussed toward formation of the D diagnostic ion relevant for assignment of 3-and 6-antennae in complex N-glycans carrying three and four antennae in combination with epitope-relevant B-and C-type ions. For validation of this approach ESI QTOF fragmentation of the permethylated analogues was carried out in the positive ion mode. Using this strategy, products of in vitro glycosylation reactions were investigated in order to clarify some general aspects of N-glycan acceptor specificity during biosynthesis. ␣1-3fucosylation using GDPfucose along with a soluble form of the recombinant human ␣1-3fucosyltransferase VI was carried out on tri-and tetraantennary precursors to test structural requirements for formation of Le A number of biologically relevant glycoproteins contain large N-linked complex carbohydrate moieties, proposed to be involved in specific interactions with other molecules and/or cell surfaces. Highly regulated biosynthetic pathways in which Nacetylglucosaminyltransferases are incorporating GlcNAc residues on the mannotriose core are determining factors for the formation of a number of antennae in complex-type N-glycans [1]. In multiantennary glycans different antennae can show different extent of elongation by N-acetyllactosaminyl repeats and number and site of modifications by sialic acid and fucose moieties, contributing to the microheterogeneity on the single glycosylation site. Besides, the expression of a certain oligosaccharide epitope may be restricted to just one of the antennae present. In order to carry on a complete characterization of complex type N-glycan mixtures obtained from glycoproteins after release by Nglycanase, combined chromatographic, mass spectrometric and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic approach can be mandatory, as demonstrated in the case of human erythropoietin (hEPO), a glycoprotein containing bi-, tri-and tetraantennary N-glycan structures [2]. Its biological activity in terms of the clearance rate was positively correlated with the ratio of tetra-to biantennary N-glycans, where the hEPO with wellbranched tetraantennary glycans remained at higher levels in the plasma [3]. Particular attention is to be paid to identification of glycosylation patterns in terms of antennarity in glycoproteins from different organs, since they may express identical protein cores, carrying glycoforms of different antennarity and therefore different ant...