Structure and Functions of the GPI Anchor

The GPI anchor is a complex structure. The core glycan has the structure EtNP-6Manα2-Manα6-(EtNP)2Manα4-GlNα6-myoIno-P-lipid. Glucosamine, mannose residues, and inositol phosphate within the glycan can be modified differently with ethanolamine phosphate groups and other sugars. GPI anchors are identified from a variety of organisms, such as protists, fungi, plants, mammals, etc. GPI anchor modification plays an important physiological function as one of the post-translational modifications of eukaryotic proteins. It is involved in various activities such as cell growth and differentiation, cell communication, signal transduction, immune recognition, insemination, etc.

Cell Surface Complex GPI Anchor Glycoengineering Service at CD BioGlyco

CD BioGlyco is an A-level company in Glycoproteomics research. GPI anchor acts as a protein post-translational modification that affects protein structure and function. We provide a one-stop cell surface complex GPI anchor glycoengineering service.

Fig.1 One-stop cell surface complex GPI anchor glycoengineering service. (CD BioGlyco)

• Complex GPI anchor gene modification service

GPI anchoring has multiple biological functions. It may affect the conformation and structure of the protein to which it is attached. The defect in GPI anchor biosynthesis is lethal to mammalian embryos and yeast. The biosynthesis of GPI-anchored proteins is found to be catalyzed by proteins encoded by multiple genes. Synthesis-associated enzyme gene regulation is one of the effective approaches to studying the targeted modification of the complex GPI anchor and biological activity. We affect the synthesis of the complex GPI anchor by Knocking Out or Overexpressing the related enzyme genes and finally achieve the targeted modification of the complex GPI anchor on the cell surface.

• Complex GPI anchor structure analysis service

Due to the complex structure of GPI anchors, we integrate enzymatic, chemical modification, and mass spectrometry (MS) methods to analyze its structure. Our service strategy is as follows: enzymatic digestion of all GPI anchors in the target protein. Labeling of GPI anchors is performed. After that, we choose LC-MS/MS to detect it. The relative content of the glycoform is analyzed through our database for comparative analysis, based on the mass spectral peak area of the corresponding glycoform. We also perform the corresponding glycosylation site detection.

Applications

• Gene editing allows analysis of the biological function of the complex GPI anchor and its effect on cell growth.
• Complex GPI anchor analysis technology plays an important role in the study of GPI anchor signaling, lipid raft distribution, cell communication, immune response, and other biological functions.
• Complex GPI anchor synthesis regulation is used to study the regulatory mechanisms of protein functions and biological processes, thus providing new directions for disease diagnosis and treatment.
• Accurate qualitative and quantitative analyses of the glycoproteome are particularly critical for the development of medicine.

Advantages

• We have in-depth knowledge of the enzyme genes involved in the biosynthesis of GPI-anchored proteins and are proficient in the gene editing techniques used.
• Glycoproteomics research plays an important role in enabling targeted diagnosis of diseases and drug development with individualized glycosylation profiles. Complex GPI anchor analysis technology helps advance drug research.
• We use fast and efficient derivative labeling, glycopeptide enrichment methods, and mass spectrometry, where glycoforms can be resolved in-depth and glycosylation sites can also be obtained.
• Our GPI anchor analysis technology requires small sample volumes. The results are accurate with minimal error.

CD BioGlyco is committed to facilitating our clients' glycoengineering research. Our well-established platform for glycoengineering experiments ensures the accuracy of results. Please feel free to contact us for more information about gene editing and structural analysis of complex GPI anchors. Our researchers will get back to you as soon as possible.