Genetically engineered tissue to screen for glycan function in tissue formation

Research output: Contribution to journalConference abstract in journalResearchpeer-review

Glycans present a huge structural diversity with species and cell-type specificity that underlie specific biological functions. While, the glycome is a difficult entry point for discovery, the glycogenome is a feasible entry point, because most of the genes controlling glycosylation are now known. We use genetic engineering with CRISPR/Cas9 combined with 3D organotypic skin models to examine how distinct glycans influence epithelial formation. We have performed knockout and knockin of more than 100 select genes in the genome of human immortalized human keratinocytes, enabling a systematic analysis of the impact of specific glycans in the formation and transformation of the human skin. The genetic engineered human skin models (GlycoSkin) was designed with and without all major biosynthetic pathways in mammalian glycan biosynthesis, including GalNAc-O-glycans, O-fucosylation, O-mannosylation, with and without complex N-linked gly-cans, and with and without elongated glycosphingolipids. We believe that this is the first time tissue is developed presenting a repertoire of all human glycan structures in a com-binatorial design presenting all possible glycoforms in their native environment. Such genetic engineered GlycoSkin tissue models can be used to study biological interactions involving glycan structure on lipids, or glycosaminoglycans. This engineering approach will allow us to investigate the functions of glycans in homeostasis and elucidate the role of glycans in normal epithelial formation, transformation and host pathogen interactions.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberAbstract 132
JournalGlycoconjugate Journal
Volume34
Issue numberSuppl 1
Pages (from-to)S65
Number of pages1
ISSN1573-4986
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2017

    Research areas

  • biological product, glycan, glycosaminoglycan, glycosphingolipid, engineered tissue, fucosylation, genetic model, genome, homeostasis, host pathogen interaction, human, human tissue, keratinocyte, knockout gene, mammal, nonhuman

ID: 188517797