Exploring artificial metalloglycosidases as selective catalysts for the recognition and degradation of the sLex tetrasaccharide

Small molecule recognition of carbohydrate moieties is a largely uncharted area of chemistry. Herein we report the use of metallopeptide-based scaffolds for sugar recognition and catalysis by application of a metalated fucose-binding peptide to remove cellular sLe(x) antigen that has been linked to cellular adhesion and cancer metastasis. Catalytic assays against synthetic carbohydrates show preference of the metallopeptide for fucosyl- and galactose-containing carbohydrates, while MS-assays demonstrate metallopeptide mediated degradation of native sLe(x) tetrasaccharide in solution. Cellular assays indicate that the metallopeptide can remove the antigen from the surface of an HL-60 leukemia cell line, demonstrating potential therapeutic utility for these metallopeptides as artificial metalloglycosidases.

Automated summary

This study reports the use of metallopeptide-based scaffolds for sugar recognition and catalysis. The metallopeptide showed preference for specific carbohydrates and was able to remove antigens from the surface of leukemia cells. These metallopeptides may have potential therapeutic applications as artificial metalloglycosidases.