The disaccharide motif fucose-α(1-2)-galactose (Fucα(1-2)Gal) is involved in many important physiological processes, such as learning and memory, inflammation, asthma, and tumorigenesis. However, the size and structural complexity of Fucα(1-2)Gal-containing glycans have posed a significant challenge to their detection. We report a new chemoenzymatic strategy for the rapid, sensitive detection of Fucα(1-2)Gal glycans. We demonstrate that the approach is highly selective for the Fucα(1-2)Gal motif, detects a variety of complex glycans and glycoproteins, and can be used to profile the relative abundance of the motif on live cells, discriminating malignant from normal cells. This approach represents a new potential strategy for biomarker detection and expands the technologies available for understanding the roles of this important class of carbohydrates in physiology and disease.

Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (Pofut1) and protein O-fucosyltransferase 2 (Pofut2) add O-linked fucose at distinct consensus sequences in properly folded epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats and thrombospondin type-1 (TSR) repeats, respectively. Glycan chain elongation past O-fucose can occur to yield a tetrasaccharide on EGF repeats and a disaccharide on TSRs. Elimination of Pofut1 in mice causes embryonic lethality with Notch-like phenotypes demonstrating that O-fucosylation of Notch is essential for its function. Similarly, elimination of Pofut2 results in an early embryonic lethal phenotype in mice, although the molecular mechanism for the lethality is unknown. The recent development of sugar analogs has revolutionized the study of glycans by providing a convenient method for labeling and tracking glycosylation. In order to study O-fucosylation, we took advantage of the recently developed reporter, 6-alkynyl fucose. Using the Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), or "click" reaction, azido-biotin allows tagging and detection of 6AF-modified proteins. Here we examine whether proteins containing EGF repeats or TSRs with O-fucose consensus sequences are specifically modified with 6AF in cell culture. Using mass spectrometry (MS), we demonstrate that 6AF is efficiently incorporated onto the appropriate consensus sequences on EGF repeats and TSRs. Furthermore, the elongation of the O-fucose monosaccharide on EGF repeats and TSRs is not hampered when 6AF is used. These results show that 6AF is efficiently utilized in a truly bioorthogonal manner by Pofut1, Pofut2 and the enzymes that elongate O-fucose, providing evidence that 6AF is a significant new tool in the study of protein O-fucosylation.

Collagen and its derivative proteins have been widely used as a major component for cosmetic formulations as a natural ingredient and moisturizer. Most commercially available collagens are animal-derived collagen type I and other forms of collagen, such as type III collagen, are far less prevalent in animals, making extraction and purification extremely difficult and expensive. Here, we report the production of a 50 kDa protein produced in yeast that is 100% identical to the N-terminus of the human type III collagen. This recombinant protein has a larger molecular weight than most incumbent recombinant collagen proteins available for personal care applications. We report the industrialization of both the fermentation and purification processes to produce a final recombinant protein product. This final protein product was shown to be safe for general applications to human skin and compatible with common formulation protocols, including ethanol-based formulations. This recombinant collagen type III protein was also shown to uniquely stimulate both collagen type I and type III production and secretion by primary human dermal fibroblasts. The unique combination of biostimulation, compatibility with beauty product formulations and demonstrated commercial production, make this novel recombinant type III collagen a good candidate for broad application in the cosmetics industry.