Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen have visualized individual sugar molecules in the glycocalyx with molecular resolution for the first time and linked their spatial arrangement to their biological function. The glycocalyx, a complex sugar layer that surrounds every cell in the human body, plays a central role in numerous diseases such as cancer or autoimmune diseases. The results were published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology and open up new perspectives for diagnosis and therapy.

The glycocalyx is the first contact point of the cell and regulates all interactions with its environment. Despite its importance, it has not yet been possible to link its structure to its function at the nanometer level, as conventional microscopy methods have reached their limits. By combining a novel localization microscopy method (Resolution Enhancement by Sequential Imaging, RESI) with bioorthogonal chemistry, it was possible to precisely visualize individual sugar molecules on the cell surface. The research was carried out in cooperation with a group from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried.

The new technique makes it possible to analyze the density and arrangement of sugar molecules and their interactions in the natural cell environment. This makes it possible to see how the glycocalyx changes during cellular processes, for example as a result of genetic mutations in cancer. These findings allow functional conclusions to be drawn about cellular processes and open up new possibilities for the development of more precise diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in medicine.

Original Paper:

Ångström-resolution imaging of cell-surface glycans | Nature Nanotechnology

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