title: Single-Molecule Fluorescence Detection of a Synthetic Heparan Sulfate Disaccharide.
abstract: The first single-molecule fluorescence detection of a structurally-defined synthetic carbohydrate is reported: a heparan sulfate (HS) disaccharide fragment labeled with Alexa488. Single molecules have been measured whilst freely diffusing in solution and controlled encapsulation in surface-tethered lipid vesicles has allowed extended observations of carbohydrate molecules down to the single-molecule level. The diverse and dynamic nature of HS-protein interactions means that new tools to investigate pure HS fragments at the molecular level would significantly enhance our understanding of HS. This work is a proof-of-principle demonstration of the feasibility of single-molecule studies of synthetic carbohydrates which offers a new approach to the study of pure glycosaminoglycan (GAG) fragments.
authors.affiliation: The School of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.affiliation: WestCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Joseph Black Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
authors.forename: Steven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: WestCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Joseph Black Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
authors.forename: Aidan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rafferty
authors.affiliation: WestCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Joseph Black Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Morten
authors.affiliation: The School of Chemistry and Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK.
authors.forename: John M
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1827-6817
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.affiliation: WestCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, Joseph Black Building, University Avenue, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
authors.forename: Steven W
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4327-8366
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Magennis
mesh_terms: D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005453:Fluorescence; D006497:Heparan Sulfate / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence
chemical_list: D004187:Disaccharides; D006497:Heparan Sulfate
keywords: carbohydrate; fluorescence; heparan sulfate; single-molecule studies; vesicle