Cell Surface-based Biotinylation Modification Service

The high-affinity biotin-avidin interaction is highly resistant to some harsh denaturing conditions, including heat, pH, and organic solvents. Hence, biotinylation has promising applications in cell surface engineering. With years of experience in the research of cell surface engineering, Creative Biolabs is capable of offering high-quality cell surface-based biotinylation modification services to global clients.

Introduction of Cell Surface-based Biotinylation Modification

The process of biotinylation is a covalent attachment of biotin molecule, a water-soluble vitamin B7, to cell surfaces, biomaterials, small molecules, and macromolecules. The high-affinity biotin-avidin (as well as avidin analogs streptavidin and NeutrAvidin) interaction is highly resistant to heat, pH, organic solvents, and other denaturing environments and as a result, has promising applications in different biotechnological and biomedical fields. Researchers have taken advantage of this extremely high-affinity binding between biotin and its binding partners to expand the tool kit for cell surface modification. Commercially available heterobifunctional biotin terminated linkers which are chemoselective for amines, thiols, and carbonyl groups are the most commonly used reagents for biotinylation of the cell surface. In some instances, enzymes such as biotin ligase can also be used as a biotinylation agent. Once the cell is labeled with biotin, it can be readily functionalized with a wide range of tagged small molecules, microspheres, polymers, or proteins through an avidin bridge.

Methods and Applications

• Endothelial cells

Surface modification of endothelial cells has been used as a tool to manipulate the properties of the vasculature to control cell-adhesion and cell-behavior. Endothelial cells form the outermost layer of blood vessels and provide the vasculature with antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory properties as well as protection against blood flow-mediated shear stress. One of the earliest studies demonstrating endothelial engineering employed an avidin-biotin ligation approach. In this study, biotinylated endothelial surfaces were used to force strong cell adhesion onto synthetic surfaces coated with avidin. This cell-surface modification enhanced the formation of lower affinity integrin-mediated focal adhesions and has been subsequently used to generate viable endothelial cell layers on polymeric vascular grafts.

Fig.1 Schematic of the endothelial surface grafting with microspheres through the biotin-avidin bridge.(Abbina, 2018)

• Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)

While stem cell therapies have great potential in regenerative medicine, delivery to the affected tissues using systemic administration is extremely inefficient with only a small percentage of cells reaching the desired location. MSCs, in particular, have challenges in cellular homing due to insufficient expression of surface markers. Consequently, cell-surface modification approaches can play a key role in enhancing and presenting surface ligands onto the cell surface for the delivery of stem cells to their target tissues. Researchers have modified MSCs with a nanometer-scale polymer containing sialyl-Lewisx (SLeX), a carbohydrate structure found on the surface of leukocytes responsible for cell rolling and adhesion to endothelial surfaces. When present on cell surfaces, SLeX serves as homing ligands to areas of inflammation. In this strategy, streptavidin can be used as a linker to bridge biotinylated SLex to the biotinylated MSC surface.

Fig.2 Engineering the MSCs surface using the conjugation of SLeX by covalent biotinylation and a streptavidin-biotin bridge to improve their rolling interactions in vitro. (Abbina, 2018)

Services at Creative Biolabs

Committed to cell surface engineering research for years, Creative Biolabs has accumulated rich experience from hundreds of successful precedents. We have established an advanced platform with comprehensive technologies and facilities. In addition, our scientists with advanced degrees will be responsible for every step of the projects.

• Comprehensive and professional technologies
• Rich application experience
• Hundreds of successful precedents

As a professional cell surface engineering services provider with a great industrial reputation, Creative Biolabs will be your best partner. If you are interested in cell surface-based biotinylation modification services or other cell surface conjugation services, please don't hesitate to contact us for more information.

Reference

1. Abbina, S.; et al. Surface engineering for cell-based therapies: Techniques for manipulating mammalian cell surfaces. ACS Biomater Sci Eng. 2018, 4(11): 3658-3677.