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Imaging single glycans

Author

Listed:
  • X. Wu

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research)

  • M. Delbianco

    (Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces)

  • K. Anggara

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research)

  • T. Michnowicz

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research)

  • A. Pardo-Vargas

    (Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces)

  • P. Bharate

    (Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces)

  • S. Sen

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research)

  • M. Pristl

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research)

  • S. Rauschenbach

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
    University of Oxford)

  • U. Schlickum

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
    Technische Universität Braunschweig)

  • S. Abb

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research)

  • P. H. Seeberger

    (Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces
    Free University Berlin)

  • K. Kern

    (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research
    Institut de Physique, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

Abstract

Imaging of biomolecules guides our understanding of their diverse structures and functions1,2. Real-space imaging at sub-nanometre resolution using cryo-electron microscopy has provided key insights into proteins and their assemblies3,4. Direct molecular imaging of glycans—the predominant biopolymers on Earth, with a plethora of structural and biological functions5—has not been possible so far6. The inherent glycan complexity and backbone flexibility require single-molecule approaches for real-space imaging. At present, glycan characterization often relies on a combination of mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging to provide insights into size, sequence, branching and connectivity, and therefore requires structure reconstruction from indirect information7–9. Here we show direct imaging of single glycan molecules that are isolated by mass-selective, soft-landing electrospray ion beam deposition and imaged by low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy10. The sub-nanometre resolution of the technique enables the visualization of glycan connectivity and discrimination between regioisomers. Direct glycan imaging is an important step towards a better understanding of the structure of carbohydrates.

Suggested Citation

  • X. Wu & M. Delbianco & K. Anggara & T. Michnowicz & A. Pardo-Vargas & P. Bharate & S. Sen & M. Pristl & S. Rauschenbach & U. Schlickum & S. Abb & P. H. Seeberger & K. Kern, 2020. "Imaging single glycans," Nature, Nature, vol. 582(7812), pages 375-378, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:582:y:2020:i:7812:d:10.1038_s41586-020-2362-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2362-1
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    Cited by:

    1. Márkó Grabarics & Benjamín Mallada & Shayan Edalatmanesh & Alejandro Jiménez-Martín & Martin Pykal & Martin Ondráček & Petra Kührová & Weston B. Struwe & Pavel Banáš & Stephan Rauschenbach & Pavel Jel, 2024. "Atomically resolved imaging of the conformations and adsorption geometries of individual β-cyclodextrins with non-contact AFM," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.
    2. Xu Wu & Bogdana Borca & Suman Sen & Sebastian Koslowski & Sabine Abb & Daniel Pablo Rosenblatt & Aurelio Gallardo & Jesús I. Mendieta-Moreno & Matyas Nachtigall & Pavel Jelinek & Stephan Rauschenbach , 2023. "Molecular sensitised probe for amino acid recognition within peptide sequences," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.

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