Biomacromolecules, Vol.18, No.5, 1460-1465, 2017
Glycan-Functionalized Microgels for Scavenging and Specific Binding of Lectins
Lectins are proteins with a well-defined carbohydrate recognition domain. Many microbial proteins such as bacterial toxins possess lectin or lectin-like binding domains to interact with cell membranes that are decorated with glycan recognition motifs. We report a straightforward way to prepare monodisperse and biocompatible polyethylene glycol microgels, which carry glycan motifs for specific binding to lectins. The sugar-functionalized colloids exhibit a wide mesh size and a highly accessible volume. The microgels are prepared via drop-based microfluidics combined with radical polymerization. GSII and ECL are used as model lectins that bind specifically to the corresponding carbohydrates, namely, GlcNAc and LacNAc. LacNAc microgels bind ECL with a high capacity and high affinity (K-d approximate to 0.5 to 1 mu M), suggesting multivalent binding of the lectin to the LacNAc-decorated flexible microgel network. a useful tool for lectin scavenging in biomedical applications. Glycan-functionalized microgels present