Development of an all-in-one technology for glycan profiling targeting formalin-embedded tissue sections

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2008 May 30;370(2):259-63. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.03.090. Epub 2008 Mar 28.

Abstract

An ultra-sensitive method for glycan analysis targeting small tissue sections (1.5mm in diameter) is described as an application of a recently-established lectin microarray technology. The developed system achieved a high level of detection of a tissue section consisting of approximately 500 cells for differential profiling, where both N- and O-glycans attached to a pool of glycoproteins are subjected to multiplex analysis with 43 lectins. By using an optimized protocol for differential glycan analysis, sections of adenocarcinoma (n=28) and normal epithelia (n=12) of the colon were analyzed in an all-in-one manner. As a result, Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) was found to clearly differentiate cancerous from normal epithelia with P<0.0001. The obtained results correlated well with the subsequent histochemical study using biotinylated WFA. Thus, the developed technology proved to be valid for expanding the lectin microarray applications to tissue-based glycomics, and hence, should accelerate a discovery phase of glycan-related biomarkers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / chemistry
  • Biomarkers / analysis
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Colonic Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Dissection
  • Formaldehyde / chemistry*
  • Humans
  • Lectins / chemistry*
  • Plant Lectins / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / analysis*
  • Receptors, N-Acetylglucosamine / chemistry
  • Tissue Array Analysis / methods*
  • Tissue Embedding

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Lectins
  • Plant Lectins
  • Polysaccharides
  • Receptors, N-Acetylglucosamine
  • wisteria lectin
  • Formaldehyde