Microbial glycans as a target of human intelectin
The present disclosure provides for methods of diagnosing and treating bacterial infections. Human Intelectin 1 (hIntL-1) has been shown to bind selectively to glycan components on bacteria including Streptococcus pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumonia and Yersinia pestis . This interaction can be targeted to identify, purify and therapeutically target such organisms.
1. A method for detecting the presence of a bacterium having glycan epitopes comprising:
(i) contacting a sample comprising human glycans and suspected of containing the bacterium with a human intelectin-1 or -2 molecule, and
(ii) detecting selective binding of the human intelectin-1 or -2 molecule to the bacterium.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bacterium is Streptococcus pneumonia, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumonia or Yersinia pestis.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bacterium expresses a glycan molecule containing a vicinal 1,2-diol.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein human intelectin binds to a (β-linked D-galactofuranose residue, a glycan containing a heptose, D-glycero-D-talo-oct-2-ulosonic acid (KO) and/or 3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (KDO) residue, and/or a saccharide residue modified with a phospho-glycerol (Gro-P) substituent.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the human intelectin is conjugated to a label or reporter.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises a human tissue or body fluid, such as blood or serum.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample comprises a water or waste sample.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the human intelectin molecule is immobilized on a support.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the support is a dipstick, bead, chip, microwell, filter, resin, membrane, or quantum dot.
10. A method of detecting a bacterium or mixture of bacteria having glycan epitopes in a sample comprising:
(a) contacting said sample with a human intelectin-1 or -2; and
(b) detecting the selective binding of said human intelectin-1 or -2 to a bacterium or mixture of bacteria in said sample.