Imaging the glycome in living systems

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Imaging
• Chemical Biology

Background:

• The glycome, comprising all cell-produced glycans, is a key target for molecular imaging.
• Recent advancements enable glycome imaging in vivo using bioorthogonal chemical reporters.
• Cell surface glycans play crucial roles in biological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe methods for introducing bioorthogonal chemical reporters (tags) onto specific cell surface glycans.
• To demonstrate the conjugation of tagged glycans to imaging probes via click chemistry.
• To highlight the potential for broader glycome imaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of bioorthogonal chemical reporters onto fucosylated glycans.
• Introduction of bioorthogonal chemical reporters onto glycans bearing LacNAc disaccharides.
• Utilizing bioorthogonal click chemistry for conjugation to imaging probes.

Main Results:

• Successful tagging of cell surface fucosylated glycans and LacNAc-bearing glycans.
• Demonstration of bioorthogonal click chemistry for probe conjugation.
• Establishment of a framework for in vivo glycome imaging.

Conclusions:

• The described bioorthogonal approaches facilitate targeted imaging of specific glycan structures.
• These methods offer a versatile platform for advancing molecular imaging of the glycome.
• The strategies can be extended to visualize other glycan classes in living organisms.