Supercharged Fluorescent Protein as a Versatile Probe for the Detection of Glycosaminoglycans in Vitro and in Vivo

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are linear acidic heteropolysaccharides that are ubiquitously expressed in animal tissues and participate in various life processes. To date, the detection and visualization of GAGs in complex biological samples and living organisms remain a challenge because of the lack of powerful biocompatible probes. In this study, a superpositively charged green fluorescent protein (ScGFP) was shown great potential in GAG detection for the first time. First, on the basis of the phenomenon of GAGs dose-dependently inhibiting the fluorescence quenching of ScGFP by graphene oxide, a simple and highly sensitive signal-on homogeneous platform was established for detecting and quantifying GAGs, even in complex samples such as heparin in citrated plasma and oversulfated chondroitin sulfate in heparin. Furthermore, ScGFP with excellent stability and biocompatibility could be easily used as a highly sensitive and selective probe to visualize different types of GAGs in vitro and in vivo through combination with specific GAG-degrading enzymes. This study introduces a versatile probe for GAG detection, which is easy to prepare and which shows a high practical value in basic research and medical applications.