Localized Hydrolysis-Based Proximity Reporting Platform for Protein Hierarchical Structure Profiling

The substrate-specific bond cleavage capability of hydrolases provides a unique strategy for engineering off-on switches. This prompted our hypothesis that confining hydrolases and substrates to distinct biomolecular hierarchies (e.g., a protein and its modifying glycans) could enable transmission of spatial proximity information through localized hydrolysis. Using New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase 1 (NDM-1), we developed a localized hydrolysis-based proximity reporting (LHPR) platform for in situ elucidation of the hierarchical architecture of glycoproteins. We constructed protein probes by conjugating target-recognizing molecules with NDM-1, and designed click chemistry-reactive, substrate-caged fluorescent molecules as glycan probes. Programmed NDM-1 activity enabled in situ protein-specific imaging of glycans via proximity-dependent activation within various biological specimens. Within a unified enzymatic framework, we successfully quantified distinct glycans of individual proteins and established the principle of protein-specific glycosylation stoichiometry analysis. Our work provides a powerful tool for developing glycoprotein-based disease biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and diagnostic approaches, offering new possibilities for precision medicine research.