N-Glycan Array

Description

N-glycosylation is a post-translational modification in which sugar molecules are covalently attached to the specific asparagine residues of a protein. N-linked glycans are attached to nitrogen (N) atoms in asparagine residues of particular amino acid sequences. These sequences include Asn–X–Ser, Asn–X–Thr, or in rare instances, Asn–X–Cys, where X can be any amino acid except proline. All eukaryotic N-glycans begin with a GlcNAc–Asn unit which is further extended with varieties of sugar molecules to form high-mannose, complex, and hybrid N-glycans.

N-glycans play essential roles in eukaryotic cells. Intrinsically, N-glycans maintain protein stability and solubility under different temperatures and pHs. They are also critical structural components of the cell barrier. Extrinsic effects of N-glycans are related to protein trafficking and cell signaling. Although N-glycans are crucial for maintaining normal physiological homeostasis, alterations of N-glycan expression are manifest in various pathological conditions. For example, aberrant N-glycosylation is observed in multiple types of cancers. Abnormally expressed N-glycans have been linked to specific autoimmune diseases. Mutation of critical enzymes for N-glycosylation contributes to the congenital disorders of glycosylation. Identifying and understanding the respective interaction of abnormally expressed N-glycans may unveil novel molecular mechanisms for therapeutic development.

ZBiotech has developed a robust microarray platform that allows researchers to explore the interactions between 114 structurally – defined N-glycans and biological samples, such as proteins, antibodies, cells, cell lysate, serum, vesicles, bacteria, or viral particles. Each array contains 8 or 16 identical subarrays, enabling the simultaneous analysis of multiple samples. The N-glycan array provides high-throughput and reliable glycan-binding information with a simple assay format that only requires a small sample volume. Results can be obtained in only a few hours, making investigating N-glycan binding easy and efficient. The N-glycan array can be customized to meet individual client needs. Assay services are available upon request.

Features

• Unrivaled sensitivity and specificity;
• Simple assay format;
• Small sample volume;
• Customizable (select N-glycans for a specific microarray format)
• Assay service available;

Applications

• Evaluate binding specificities of N-glycan interacting proteins;
• Evaluate binding specificities of N-glycan interacting antibodies;
• Study virus – N-glycan interactions;
• Study bacteria – N-glycan interactions;
• Study vesicle – N-glycan interactions;
• Study cell – N-glycan interactions;