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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
11:36
Glycan Node Analysis: A Bottom-up Approach to Glycomics
Published on: May 22, 2016
In Situ Translation of Terminal Glycans into Covalent Readouts in Complex Biological Systems.
Haiqi Wang1, Ru Jia2, Junpeng Xu3
1State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
Analytical Chemistry
|June 30, 2026
Summary
We developed ReGOL, a novel platform for high-fidelity imaging of terminal galactose/N-acetylgalactosamine (Gal/GalNAc) glycans in tissues. This method overcomes background interference and preserves spatial information for biological analysis.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Glycobiology
- Chemical Biology
Background:
- Glycans display significant spatial variation in biological tissues.
- Detecting glycans in complex systems is difficult due to background noise, inefficient labeling, and loss of spatial data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a robust method for high-fidelity imaging of terminal galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine (Gal/GalNAc) glycans.
- To enable spatial analysis and chemical modification of glycans in both tissue sections and living systems.
Main Methods:
- Developed a reduction-assisted galactose oxidase labeling (ReGOL) platform.
- Utilized NaBH4 prereduction to minimize background and integrated galactose oxidase with hydrazone ligation.
- Applied ReGOL to frozen and paraffin-embedded sections, compatible with H&E staining and comparative analysis with neuraminidase treatment.
Main Results:
- Achieved high-fidelity imaging of terminal Gal/GalNAc in tissue sections with suppressed background.
- Demonstrated ReGOL's applicability in renal fibrosis and bladder cancer models, revealing glycan heterogeneity and tumor boundaries.
- Successfully translated the ReGOL workflow for in vivo imaging and functionalization of bladder tumors.
Conclusions:
- ReGOL is a versatile oxidation-based platform for spatial glycan analysis in complex biological environments.
- The platform enables precise imaging and localized chemical intervention of terminal glycans.
- ReGOL facilitates the correlation of glycan distribution with tissue morphology and disease states.
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