A GSH Functionalized Magnetic Ultra-thin 2D-MoS2 nanocomposite for HILIC-based enrichment of N-glycopeptides from urine exosome and serum proteins

Abstract

Protein N-glycosylation plays crucial roles in many biological processes and has close association with the occurrence and development of various cancers. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the abnormal changes of N-glycopeptides in complex biological samples for biomarker discovery. However, due to their low abundance and poor ionization, N-glycopeptides identification in complex samples by mass spectrometry (MS) is still a challenging task. In this work, a novel magnetic hydrophilic material was prepared by serial functionalization of ultra-thin two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, gold nanowire and glutathione (MoS₂-Fe₃O₄-Au/NWs-GSH) for efficient N-glycopeptides enrichment. The advantage of using the new nanocomposite is threefold. First, the introduction of magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles efficiently simplifies the enrichment process. Second, the gold nanowire modification enlarges the surface area of the nanocomposites to facilitate interaction with N-glycopeptides. Third, the employment of highly hydrophilic glutathione leads to specific HILIC-based retention of N-glycopeptides. Low femtomolar detection sensitivity and 1:1000 enrichment selectivity can be achieved using MoS₂-Fe₃O₄-Au/NWs-GSH enrichment and bio-mass spectrometry analysis. Successful applications in human urine exosome and serum proteins were demonstrated by the enrichment and identification of 1250 and 489 N-glycopeptides, respectively. This remarkable data set of N-glycoproteome indicates the application potential of the novel nanocomposites for N-glycopeptides enrichment in complex biological samples and for related glycoproteome studies.

Keywords: 2D-MoS(2); HILIC; Mass spectrometry; N-glycopeptides; Urine Exosome.