Glycoprotein vesicles and their methods of use
AssigneeThe MITRE Corporation
InventorElaine H. Mullen
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Abstract
Provided are methods of collecting, detecting and altering cells and molecular entities using glycoprotein micelles and vesicles. Glycoprotein vesicles comprising a glycoprotein micelle, at least a monolayer of lectin and/or a monolayer of biologically active glycoproteins are also provided. The invention further provides methods of detecting protein glycosylation using the vesicles of the invention.
Claims19
A glycoprotein vesicle-containing suspension in an aqueous polar medium, wherein the glycoprotein vesicle comprises:
- (a) a glycoprotein micelle comprising a hydrophobic interior and a polar exterior, wherein the glycoprotein's carbohydrate moieties are on the polar exterior and are oriented toward the aqueous polar medium in which the vesicle is suspended;
- and
- (b) at least one monolayer of a lectin non-covalently or covalently bound to the carbohydrate moieties that are on the polar exterior of the micelle of part (a),
- wherein the at least one monolayer of a lectin of part (b) is on the outer surface of the vesicle and is exposed to the aqueous polar medium that contains the vesicle,
- wherein the vesicles are not biological cells and are not agglutinated, and wherein the suspension does not contain non-bound lectin or non-bound glycoprotein.
A method of detecting glycosylation of a protein comprising (a) forming transparent micelles of the protein, (b) contacting the transparent micelles of (a) with at least one labeled lectin;
- and (c) detecting a signal generated from the circumference of the transparent micelles and from the center of the transparent micelles, wherein a stronger signal at the circumference of the transparent micelles than in the center of the transparent micelles indicates that the protein is glycosylated.
A glycoprotein vesicle-containing suspension in an aqueous polar medium, wherein the glycoprotein vesicle comprises:
- (a) a glycoprotein micelle comprising a hydrophobic interior and a polar exterior, wherein the glycoprotein's carbohydrate moieties are on the polar exterior and are oriented toward the aqueous polar medium in which the vesicle is suspended;
- (b) at least one monolayer of a lectin non-covalently or covalently bound to the carbohydrate moieties that are on the polar exterior of the micelle of part (a);
- and
- (c) at least one monolayer of a glycoprotein covalently or non-covalently bound to the lectin layer such that the at least one monolayer of lectin of part (b) is between the carbohydrate moieties that are on the exterior of the micelle of part (a) and the at least one monolayer of a glycoprotein of part (c),
- wherein the at least one monolayer of a glycoprotein of part (c) is on the outer surface of the vesicle and is exposed to the aqueous polar medium that contains the vesicle;
- wherein the vesicles are not biological cells and are not agglutinated, and wherein the suspension does not contain non-bound lectin or non-bound glycoprotein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.