Biocatalysis versus Molecular Recognition in Sialoside-Selective Neuraminidase Biosensing

Impedimetric Characterization of NanA Structural Domains Activity on Sialoside-Containing Interfaces

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a pathogenic bacterium that contains the surface-bound neuraminidase, NanA. NanA has two domains that interact with sialosides. It is hard to determine the contribution of each domain separately on catalysis or binding. In this work, we used biochemical methods to obtain the separated domains, applied electrochemical and surface analysis approaches, and determined the catalytic and binding preferences toward a surface-bound library of sialosides. Impedimetric studies on two different surfaces revealed that protein-surface interactions provide a tool for distinguishing the unique contribution of each domain at the interface affecting the substrate preference of the enzyme in different surroundings. We showed that each domain has a sialoside-specific affinity. Furthermore, while the interaction of the sialoside-covered surface with the carbohydrate-binding domain results in an increase in impedance and binding, the catalytic domain adheres to the surface at high concentrations but retains its catalytic activity at low concentrations.

Syntheses of α(2,8) Sialosides Containing NeuAc and NeuGc by Using Double Carbonyl-Protected N-Acyl Sialyl Donors

We report on the syntheses of NeuAc and NeuGc-containing glycosides via the use of double carbonyl-protected N-acetyl sialyl donors. The 7-O,9-O-carbonyl protection of an N-acyl-5-N,4-O-carbonyl-protected sialyl donor markedly increased the α-selectivity during glycosylation, particularly when glycosylating the C-8 hydroxyl group of sialic acids. The N-acyl carbamates were selectively opened with ethanethiol under basic conditions to provide N-acyl amines. It is noteworthy that N-glycolyl carbamate was more reactive to nucleophiles by comparison with the N-acetyl carbamate due to the electron-withdrawing oxygen in the N-acyl group and however, allowed selective opening of the carbamates without the loss of N-glycolyl groups. To demonstrate the utility of the approach, we began by synthesizing α(2,3) and α(2,6) sialyl galactosides. Glycosylation of the hydroxy groups of galactosides at the C-6 position with the NeuAc and NeuGc donors provided the corresponding sialyl galactoses in good yields with excellent α-selectivity. However, glycosylation of the 2,3-diol galactosyl acceptor selectively provided Siaα(2,2)Gal. Next, we prepared a series of α(2,8) disialosides composed of NeuAc and NeuGc. Glycosylation of NeuGc and NeuAc acceptors at the C-8 hydroxyl group with NeuGc and NeuAc sialyl donors provided the corresponding α(2,8) disialosides, and no significant differences were detected in the reactivities of these acceptors.

Surface-Controlled Sialoside-Based Biosensing of Viral and Bacterial Neuraminidases

Neuraminidases (NA) are sialic acid-cleaving enzymes that are used by both bacteria and viruses. These enzymes have sialoside structure-related binding and cleaving preferences. Differentiating between these enzymes requires using a large array of hard-to-access sialosides. In this work, we used electrochemical impedimetric biosensing to differentiate among several pathogene-related NAs. We used a limited set of sialosides and tailored the surface properties. Various sialosides were grafted on two different surfaces with unique properties. Electrografting on glassy carbon electrodes provided low-density sialoside-functionalized surfaces with a hydrophobic submonolayer. A two-step assembly on gold electrodes provided a denser sialoside layer on a negatively charged submonolayer. The synthesis of each sialoside required dozens of laborious steps. Utilizing the unique protein-electrode interaction modes resulted in richer biodata without increasing the synthetic load. These principles allowed for profiling NAs and determining the efficacy of various antiviral inhibitors.

Sialic acids in infection and their potential use in detection and protection against pathogens

In structural terms, the sialic acids are a large family of nine carbon sugars based around an alpha-keto acid core. They are widely spread in nature, where they are often found to be involved in molecular recognition processes, including in development, immunology, health and disease. The prominence of sialic acids in infection is a result of their exposure at the non-reducing terminus of glycans in diverse glycolipids and glycoproteins. Herein, we survey representative aspects of sialic acid structure, recognition and exploitation in relation to infectious diseases, their diagnosis and prevention or treatment. Examples covered span influenza virus and Covid-19, Leishmania and Trypanosoma, algal viruses, Campylobacter, Streptococci and Helicobacter, and commensal Ruminococci.