Detection of bacteria in suspension by using a superconducting quantum interference device.

We demonstrate a technique for detecting magnetically labeled Listeria monocytogenes and for measuring the binding rate between antibody-linked magnetic particles and bacteria. This sensitive assay quantifies specific bacteria in a sample without the need to immobilize them or wash away unbound magnetic particles. In the measurement, we add 50-nm-diameter superparamagnetic magnetite particles, coated with antibodies, to an aqueous sample containing L. monocytogenes. We apply a pulsed magnetic field to align the magnetic dipole moments and use a high-transition temperature superconducting quantum interference device, an extremely sensitive detector of magnetic flux, to measure the magnetic relaxation signal when the field is turned off. Unbound particles randomize direction by Brownian rotation too quickly to be detected. In contrast, particles bound to L. monocytogenes are effectively immobilized and relax in about 1 s by rotation of the internal dipole moment. This Néel relaxation process is detected by the superconducting quantum interference device. The measurements indicate a detection limit of (5.6 +/- 1.1) x 10(6) L. monocytogenes in our sample volume of 20 microl. If the sample volume were reduced to 1 nl, we estimate that the detection limit could be improved to 230 +/- 40 L. monocytogenes cells. Time-resolved measurements yield the binding rate between the particles and bacteria.

Kinetic parameters for small-molecule drug delivery by covalent cell surface targeting.

Human cells incubated with N-levulinoylmannosamine (ManLev) process this unnatural metabolic precursor into N-levulinoyl sialic acid (SiaLev), which is incorporated into cell surface glycoconjugates. A key feature of SiaLev is the presence of a ketone group that can be exploited in chemoselective ligation reactions to deliver small-molecule probes to the cell surface. A mathematical model was developed and tested experimentally to evaluate the prospects of using cell surface ketones as targets for covalent small-molecule drug delivery. We quantified the absolute number of ketone groups displayed on cell surfaces as a function of the concentration of ManLev in the medium. The apparent rate constants for the hydrolysis and disappearance of the cell surface conjugates were determined, as well as the apparent rate constant for the formation of covalent bonds with cell surface ketones. These values and the mathematical model confirm that chemoselective reactions on the cell surface can deliver to cells similar numbers of molecules as antibodies. Thus, cell surface ketones are a potential vehicle for a metabolically controlled small-molecule drug delivery system.

Synthesis of oxime-linked mucin mimics containing the tumor-related T(N) and sialyl T(N) antigens.

[reaction--see text] The synthesis of oxime-linked mucin mimics was accomplished via the incorporation of multiple ketone residues into a peptide followed by reaction with aminooxy sugars corresponding to the tumor-related T(N) and sialyl T(N) (ST(N)) antigens.

Chemical and biological strategies for engineering cell surface glycosylation.

Oligosaccharides play a crucial role in many of the recognition, signaling, and adhesion events that take place at the surface of cells. Abnormalities in the synthesis or presentation of these carbohydrates can lead to misfolded and inactive proteins, as well as to several debilitating disease states. However, their diverse structures, which are the key to their function, have hampered studies by biologists and chemists alike. This review presents an overview of techniques for examining and manipulating cell surface oligosaccharides through genetic, enzymatic, and chemical strategies.

Surface molecular recognition.

The spatial display of cellular ligands and receptors is important for cell adhesion and communication. Two approaches that emphasize developing selective methods to dissect, modify, and control receptor-ligand interactions at the cellular interface are discussed.

Substrate specificity of the sialic acid biosynthetic pathway.

Unnatural analogues of sialic acid can be delivered to mammalian cell surfaces through the metabolic transformation of unnatural N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) derivatives. In previous studies, mannosamine analogues bearing simple N-acyl groups up to five carbon atoms in length were recognized as substrates by the biosynthetic machinery and transformed into cell surface sialoglycoconjugates [Keppler, O. T., et al. (2001) Glycobiology 11, 11R-18R]. Such structural alterations to cell surface glycans can be used to probe carbohydrate-dependent phenomena. This report describes our investigation into the extent of tolerance of the pathway toward additional structural alterations of the N-acyl substituent of ManNAc. A panel of analogues with ketone-containing N-acyl groups that varied in the length or steric bulk was chemically synthesized and tested for metabolic conversion to cell surface glycans. We found that extension of the N-acyl chain to six, seven, or eight carbon atoms dramatically reduced utilization by the biosynthetic machinery. Likewise, branching from the linear chain reduced metabolic conversion. Quantitation of metabolic intermediates suggested that cellular metabolism is limited by the phosphorylation of the N-acylmannosamines by ManNAc 6-kinase in the first step of the pathway. This was confirmed by enzymatic assay of the partially purified enzyme with unnatural substrates. Identification of ManNAc 6-kinase as a bottleneck for unnatural sialic acid biosynthesis provides a target for expanding the metabolic promiscuity of mammalian cells.

A small-molecule modulator of poly-alpha 2,8-sialic acid expression on cultured neurons and tumor cells.

Poly-alpha2,8-sialic acid (PSA) has been implicated in numerous normal and pathological processes, including development, neuronal plasticity, and tumor metastasis. We report that cell surface PSA expression can be reversibly inhibited by a small molecule, N-butanoylmannosamine (ManBut). Inhibition occurs through a metabolic mechanism in which ManBut is converted to unnatural sialic acid derivatives that effectively act as chain terminators during cellular PSA biosynthesis. N-Propanoylmannosamine (ManProp), which differs from ManBut by a single methylene group, did not inhibit PSA biosynthesis. Modulation of PSA expression by chemical means has a role complementary to genetic and biochemical approaches in the study of complex PSA-mediated events.

Biosynthesis of sialylated lipooligosaccharides in Haemophilus ducreyi is dependent on exogenous sialic acid and not mannosamine. Incorporation studies using N-acylmannosamine analogues, N-glycolylneuraminic acid, and 13C-labeled N-acetylneuraminic acid.

Haemophilus ducreyi is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes chancroid, a sexually transmitted disease. Cell surface lipooligosaccharides (LOS) of H. ducreyi are thought to play important biological roles in host infection. The vast majority of H. ducreyi strains contain high levels of sialic acid (N-acetylneuraminic acid, NeuAc) in their LOS. Here we investigate the biosynthetic origin of H. ducreyi sialosides by metabolic incorporation studies using a panel of N-acylmannosamine and sialic acid analogues. Incorporation of sialosides into LOS was assessed by matrix-assisted laser desorption and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. A Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer provided accurate mass measurements, and a quadrupole time-of-flight instrument was used to obtain characteristic fragment ions and partial carbohydrate sequences. Exogenously supplied N-acetylmannosamine analogues were not converted to LOS-associated sialosides at a detectable level. In contrast, exogenous (13)C-labeled N-acetylneuraminic acid ([(13)C]NeuAc) and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (NeuGc) were efficiently incorporated into LOS in a dose-dependent fashion. Moreover, approximately 1.3 microM total exogenous sialic acid was sufficient to obtain about 50% of the maximum production of sialic acid-containing glycoforms observed under in vitro growth conditions. Together, these data suggest that the expressed levels of sialylated LOS glycoforms observed in H. ducreyi are in large part controlled by the exogenous concentrations of sialic acid and at levels one might expect in vivo. Moreover, these studies show that to properly exploit the sialic acid biosynthetic pathway for metabolic oligosaccharide engineering in H. ducreyi and possibly other prokaryotes that share similar pathways, precursors based on sialic acid and not mannosamine must be used.

Chemoselective approaches to glycoprotein assembly.

Oligosaccharides on proteins and lipids play central roles in human health and disease. The molecular analysis of glycoconjugate function has benefited tremendously from new methods for their chemical synthesis, which provides homogeneous material not attainable from biosynthetic systems. Still, glycoconjugate synthesis requires the manipulation of multiple stereocenters and protecting groups and remains the domain of a few expert laboratories around the world. This Account summarizes chemoselective approaches for assembling homogeneous glycoconjugates that attempt to reduce the barriers to their synthesis. The objective of these methods is to make glycoconjugate synthesis accessible to a broader community, thereby accelerating progress in glycobiology.

A library approach to the generation of bisubstrate analogue sulfotransferase inhibitors.

[reaction: see text]. A library of potential bisubstrate analogue inhibitors (1) targeting sulfotransferase enzymes was generated by the chemoselective ligation of the PAPS mimic 2 with a panel of 447 aldehydes. Preliminary screening has identified compounds that inhibit estrogen sulfotransferase (EST), an enzyme relevant to breast cancer.

Chemoselective elaboration of O-linked glycopeptide mimetics by alkylation of 3-thioGalNAc.

A critical branch point in mucin-type oligosaccharides is the beta 1-->3 glycosidic linkage to the core alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) residue. We report here a strategy for the synthesis of O-linked glycopeptide analogues that replaces this linkage with a thioether amenable to construction by chemoselective ligation. The key building block was a 2-azido-3-thiogalactose-Thr analogue that was incorporated into a peptide by fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-based solid-phase peptide synthesis. Higher order oligosaccharides were readily generated by alkylation of the corresponding 3-thioGalNAc with N-bromoacetamido sugars. The rapid assembly of "core 1"and "core 3" O-linked glycopeptide mimetics was accomplished in this fashion.

Metabolic selection of glycosylation defects in human cells.

Changes in glycosylation are often associated with disease progression, but the genetic and metabolic basis of these events is rarely understood in detail at a molecular level. We describe a metabolism-based approach to the selection of mutants in glycoconjugate biosynthesis that provides insight into regulatory mechanisms for oligosaccharide expression and metabolic flux. Unnatural intermediates are used to challenge a specific pathway, and cell surface expression of their metabolic products provides a readout of flux in that pathway and a basis for selecting genetic mutants. The approach was applied to the sialic acid metabolic pathway in human cells, yielding novel mutants with phenotypes related to the inborn metabolic defect sialuria and metastatic tumor cells.

Characterizing glycosylation pathways.

Numerous factors that influence cell-surface carbohydrate composition remain to be elucidated. The combination of novel biochemical and metabolism-based approaches with emerging genomic methods promises to accelerate efforts to understand glycosylation.

Polymerized liposome assemblies: bifunctional macromolecular selectin inhibitors mimicking physiological selectin ligands.

Monomeric sialyl Lewis(X) (sLe(x)) and sLe(x)-like oligosaccharides are minimal structures capable of supporting selectin binding in vitro. However, their weak binding interactions do not correlate with the high-affinity binding interactions witnessed in vivo. The polyvalent display of carbohydrate groups found on cell surface glycoprotein structures may contribute to the enhanced binding strength of selectin-mediated adhesion. Detailed biochemical analyses of physiological selectin ligands have revealed a complicated composition of molecules that bind to the selectins in vivo and suggest that there are other requirements for tight binding beyond simple carbohydrate multimerization. In an effort to mimic the high-affinity binding, polyvalent scaffolds that contain multicomponent displays of selectin-binding ligands have been synthesized. Here, we demonstrate that the presentation of additional anionic functional groups in the form of sulfate esters, on a polymerized liposome surface containing a multimeric array of sLe(x)-like oligosaccharides, generates a highly potent, bifunctional macromolecular assembly. This assembly inhibits L-, E-, and P-selectin binding to GlyCAM-1, a physiological ligand better than sLe(x)-like liposomes without additional anionic charge. These multivalent arrays are 4 orders of magnitude better than the monovalent carbohydrate. Liposomes displaying 3'-sulfo Lewis(X)-like oligosaccharides, on the other hand, show slight loss of binding with introduction of additional anionic functional groups for E- and P-selectin and negligible change for L-selectin. The ability to rapidly and systematically vary the composition of these assemblies is a distinguishing feature of this methodology and may be applied to the study of other systems where composite binding determinants are important for high-affinity binding.

Biosynthesis of L-selectin ligands: sulfation of sialyl Lewis x-related oligosaccharides by a family of GlcNAc-6-sulfotransferases.

The leukocyte adhesion molecule L-selectin mediates lymphocyte homing to secondary lymphoid organs and to certain sites of inflammation. The cognate ligands for L-selectin possess the unusual sulfated tetrasaccharide epitope 6-sulfo sialyl Lewis x (Siaalpha2-->3Galbeta1-->4[Fucalpha1-->3][SO(3)-->6]GlcNAc). Sulfation of GlcNAc within sialyl Lewis x is a crucial modification for L-selectin binding, and thus, the underlying sulfotransferase may be a key modulator of lymphocyte trafficking. Four recently discovered GlcNAc-6-sulfotransferases are the first candidate contributors to the biosynthesis of 6-sulfo sLex in the context of L-selectin ligands. Here we report the in vitro activity of the four GlcNAc-6-sulfotransferases on a panel of synthetic oligosaccharide substrates that comprise structural motifs derived from sialyl Lewis x. Each enzyme preferred a terminal GlcNAc residue, and was impeded by the addition of a beta1,4-linked Gal residue (i.e., terminal LacNAc). Surprisingly, for three of the enzymes, significant activity was observed with sialylated LacNAc, and two of the enzymes were capable of detectable sulfation of GlcNAc in the context of sialyl Lewis x. On the basis of these results, we propose possible pathways for 6-sulfo sialyl Lewis x biosynthesis and suggest that sulfation may be an early committed step.

Modulating cell surface immunoreactivity by metabolic induction of unnatural carbohydrate antigens.

BACKGROUND: Sialic acid is a component of many tumor-associated oligosaccharide antigens. The repertoire of sialic acids presented by cells can be expanded to include unnatural variants by intercepting the sialic acid biosynthetic pathway with unnatural precursors. We explored whether unnatural cell surface sialosides produced by metabolism can act as neo-antigens and modulate the immunogenicity of cells. RESULTS: Immunization of rabbits with synthetic conjugates of an unnatural sialic acid bound to keyhole limpet hemocyanin produced significant titers of antibodies that were specific for the structurally altered sialic acid. The antibodies recognized cells that were fed the unnatural biosynthetic precursor, and were capable of directing complement-mediated lysis. CONCLUSIONS: Structural alteration of sialic acids replaces a tolerized self-antigen with an antigenic determinant. Incorporation of unnatural sialosides into cell surface glycoconjugates through biosynthetic means can alter the immunoreactivity of cells, providing new possibilities for tumor immunotherapy.

Chemical synthesis of lymphotactin: a glycosylated chemokine with a C-terminal mucin-like domain.

The synthesis of a 93-residue chemokine, lymphotactin, containing eight sites of O-linked glycosylation, was achieved using the technique of native chemical ligation. A single GalNAc residue was incorporated at each glycosylation site using standard Fmoc-chemistry to achieve the first total synthesis of a mucin-type glycoprotein. Using this approach quantities of homogeneous material were obtained for structural and functional analysis.

Chemical glycobiology.

Chemical tools have proven indispensable for studies in glycobiology. Synthetic oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates provide materials for correlating structure with function. Synthetic mimics of the complex assemblies found on cell surfaces can modulate cellular interactions and are under development as therapeutic agents. Small molecule inhibitors of carbohydrate biosynthetic and processing enzymes can block the assembly of specific oligosaccharide structures. Inhibitors of carbohydrate recognition and biosynthesis can reveal the biological functions of the carbohydrate epitope and its cognate receptors. Carbohydrate biosynthetic pathways are often amenable to interception with synthetic unnatural substrates. Such metabolic interference can block the expression of oligosaccharides or alter the structures of the sugars presented on cells. Collectively, these chemical approaches are contributing great insight into the myriad biological functions of oligosaccharides.