Poly-N-acetyllactosamines (poly-LacNAc,[− 3Gal (β1–4) GlcNAc (β1−] n) are terminal glycan structures present in glycoproteins and glycolipids. Their biological functions as ligands for galectins and as carriers of glycan epitopes are well documented. In the present paper we have characterized six novel functionalized β-d-GlcNAc derivatives, including aglyca of varying hydrophobicity and molecular weight, as substrates for recombinant human β1, 4 ...