Optimization of evanescent-field fluorescence-assisted lectin microarray for high-sensitivity detection of monovalent oligosaccharides and glycoproteins

Lectin microarray is an emerging technique, which will accelerate glycan profiling and discovery of glycan-related biomarkers. One of the most important stages in realizing the potential of the technique is to achieve sufficiently high sensitivity to detect even the low concentrations of some target glycoproteins which occur in sera or tissues. Previously, we developed a lectin microarray based on an evanescent-field fluorescence-assisted detection principle that allows rapid profiling of glycoproteins. Here, we report optimization of procedures for lectin spotting and immobilization to improve the sensitivity and reproducibility of the lectin microarray. The improved microarray allows high-sensitivity detection of even monovalent oligosaccharides that generally have a low affinity with lectins (K-d > 10(-6) M). The LOD observed for RCA120, a representative plant lectin, with asialofetuin, and an asialo-biantennary N-glycan probe were determined to be 100 pg/mL and 100 pM, respectively. With the improved lectin microarray system, closely related structural isomers, i.e., Le(a) and Le(x), were clearly differentiated by the difference in signal patterns on relevant multiple lectins, even though specific lectins to detect these glycan structures were not available. The result proved a previously proposed concept of lectin-based glycan profiling.