Glycan – Binding Reagents

ZBiotechGlycan – Binding Reagents

Glycan-Binding Proteins

Glycan-binding proteins (GBPs) represent a structurally and functionally diverse group of molecules that have evolved in various biological systems to recognize specific carbohydrate structures with high affinity and selectivity. These proteins include lectins from plants and animals, bacterial adhesins, toxin subunits (e.g., cholera and shiga toxins), as well as viral glycoproteins (e.g., influenza hemagglutinin and coronavirus hemagglutinin-esterases). More recently, monoclonal antibodies and engineered binding scaffolds with glycan specificity have also emerged as powerful tools in the glycosciences.

These proteins play central roles in mediating intercellular communication, pathogen recognition, immune modulation, and cell adhesion. When harnessed as research tools, their natural glycan-binding specificities enable precise detection and analysis of glycan expression patterns in health and disease.

Applications

Glycan-binding proteins have become essential reagents for glycobiology. Their uses span both exploratory and translational research, including:

Spatial and quantitative profiling of glycan motifs in cells, tissues, and biological fluids using common methods such as flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and lectin blotting
Detecting disease-associated glycosylation signatures, such as those occurring in cancer, inflammation, or congenital disorders of glycosylation;
Enrichment or isolation of glycoproteins from complex biological matrices (e.g., serum, tissue lysates, biopharmaceutical products);
Validating glycoengineering efforts in therapeutic protein production;

Our Products

ZBiotech is actively developing a portfolio of high-quality, recombinant glycan-binding protein reagents designed to target biologically relevant glycan motifs. These reagents are validated using our proprietary glycan array platforms to ensure specificity and reproducibility. Formats include His-tagged, Fc-tagged, biotinylated, and fluorescently labeled variants, depending on the intended application.

rCalsepa

rCalsepa is a recombinant plant lectin derived from Calystegia sepium, expressed in E. coli and tagged for detection. It specifically binds the conserved N-glycan core trisaccharide (Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-4GlcNAc), enabling broad recognition of high-mannose, complex, and hybrid-type N-glycans in biological samples.

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rhSiglec-8

rhSiglec-8 is the recombinant extracellular domain (ECD) of human Siglec-8, expressed in HEK293 cells. It selectively binds sulfated sialylated glycans, particularly Neu5Ac(α2–3)Gal(6S)β1–4GlcNAc, making it a valuable tool for profiling sulfated glycan motifs in cells, tissues, and biological samples.

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SGRPs

Sialoglycan Recognizing Probes (SGRPs) are a panel of engineered or naturally derived proteins that specifically recognize sialoglycans based on both sialic acid types (e.g., Neu5Ac, Neu5Gc) and linkage patterns (α2–3, α2–6, α2–8). these reagents enable detection and visualization of sialoglycan structures in biological samples.

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Custom Glycan-Binding Protein Development

For researchers seeking bespoke solutions, we offer custom development services for glycan-binding proteins – from initial design to expression, purification, and validation.

AI-Guided OptimizationProtein sequences are optimized for expression, stability, and binding performance through strategic domain modifications, tag placement, and multimerization control, with or without available crystal structure data.
Tailored Expression SystemsExpression hosts such as E. coli and HEK293 - including engineered variants to minimize host–protein interactions - are selected to optimize yield, folding efficiency, and post-translational modifications.
No-Binding ControlsLoss-of-function mutants are engineered as negative controls to support specificity validation in functional assays, with or without access to crystal structure information.
Comprehensive ValidationBinding activity is assessed using in-house glycan arrays encompassing N-, O-, glycolipid-, and pathogen-derived structures to enable comprehensive profiling of glycan-binding specificity.

Workflow Overview

Discovery & Planning

Projects begin with either a client-provided glycan-binding protein sequence or a defined glycan motif of interest. For motif-driven projects, internal databases are searched to identify known or candidate proteins with relevant binding specificity.

Design & Optimization

Sequence designs are refined using AI-guided domain optimization or stabilization, with strategic tag placement, linker configuration, and control of multimerization. Loss-of-function variants can be designed with or without available crystal structure information.

Expression & Validation

Proteins are expressed in the selected host system, purified, and evaluated for quality. Binding activity is assessed using in-house glycan array platforms encompassing N-, O-, glycolipid-, and pathogen-derived glycans to confirm specificity and functional integrity.

Contact Us

Our scientific team is ready to collaborate with you. Whether you need a validated reagent or a fully customized glycan-binding protein, we will tailor a solution to meet your goals.

Phone

Any questions? Give us a call.
Monday – Friday
9:00am – 5:00pm (MT)

(720) 285-3587

After hours support
(720) 402-4441

Email

Any questions? Send us an email.
24/7

[email protected]

Location

12635 E Montview Blvd, Suite 214
Aurora, CO 80045 USA