Proteoglycans(PG) are large linear proteins flanked with extended oligosaccharides that mediate a variety of processes, one of which is growth factor (GF) signaling. In stem cells, GF signaling can direct differentiation towards a specific lineage. Unfortunately these oligosaccharide are too complex to be feasible synthetic targets, and thus are unavailable as tools for the study of GF signaling in stem cells. To circumvent this issue, a library of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) mimetic polymers known as Neoproteoglycans (NeoPGs) have been prepared which present saccharides in a multivalent fashion, thus enhancing GF binding avidity. To enhance the potential of these biologically active NeoPGs, a cellular microarray platform has been developed to investigate NeoPG mediated signaling in the context of stem cell differentiation. In the past, glycan-protein interactions have been studied using array based methodologies. However, these data generally failed to bridge the large gap between protein affinity and cell response. By preparing NeoPG cellular arrays, we are able to tease apart proteoglycan-GF interactions in the context of cellular differentiation.

Cellular microarray strategy for the investigation of glycosaminoglycan-protein interactions as they relate to stem cell differentiation

251st National Meeting (2016)

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