Rapid and sensitive glycan targeting by lectin-SERS assay

Area of Science:

• Glycobiology
• Biotechnology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Glycosylation is crucial for cell signaling and implicated in various diseases.
• Current glycan analysis methods are complex, require large samples, and are not widely accessible.
• Sensitive and rapid glycan detection is highly desirable for disease diagnostics and research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple, rapid, and sensitive method for glycan detection on proteins and cell surfaces.
• To utilize surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) coupled with lectins for glycan analysis.
• To demonstrate the application of this assay in analyzing glycoprotein and cell surface glycan profiles.

Main Methods:

• A novel lectin-SERS assay was developed using wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) lectin.
• The assay targets glycans directly on proteins (using IgG as a model) and cell surfaces.
• Detection limits and specificity were evaluated using glycoprotein solutions and colorectal cancer cell lines.

Main Results:

• The lectin-SERS assay detected as low as 10 ng of IgG with high glycan specificity using only 1 μL of sample.
• The assay successfully differentiated unique glycan signatures on two human colorectal cancer cell lines.
• Analysis was completed within two hours, demonstrating speed and efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The developed lectin-SERS assay is a powerful tool for glycomics research, offering high sensitivity and specificity.
• This method enables real-time and in situ monitoring of glycans on cells, tissues, or in body fluids.
• The assay has potential applications in disease diagnostics and understanding glycan roles in biological processes.