Fig. 4: Glycan transfer tracking in various cell-cell interactions.

a Schematic of glycan transfer during Jurkat-K562 trogocytosis. SeMOE probe-treated Jurkat cells were stained by the cell membrane staining tracker Dil-PE, washed and then co-incubated with Did-APC-stained K562 cells at 37°C for 2 h, followed by sorting and ICP-MS analysis of K562 cells. b Flow cytometry analysis of Jurkat-K562 trogocytosis. c, d Seleno-sialic acid transfer from 1,6-Pr₂ManNSe (c) or Ac₄ManNSe-treated (d) Jurkat cells to K562 cells. Jurkat cells and K562 cells were gated and sorted according to the gating strategy (Supplementary Note 3). e Schematic of cancer cell-RAW 264.7 communication. SeMOE probe-treated cancer cells were washed, and co-incubated with RAW 264.7 cells in a 0.4 μm-sized transwell culture system for varied time, followed by cell counting and ICP-MS analysis of cancer cells and RAW 264.7 cells, respectively. f Se levels of Se-labeled RM1 cells during co-incubation with RAW 264.7 cells. g Seleno-sialic acid transfer from RM1 to RAW 264.7 cells. h M1 polarization of RAW 264.7 cell induced by RM1 cell or RM1 cell culture supernatant. i Seleno-sialic acid transfer from RM1 to RAW 264.7 cells in different polarization states. j Schematic of GC labeling and co-incubation with oocytes. SeMOE probe-treated freshly isolated GCs were washed, and co-incubated with oocytes for 14 h, followed by confocal imaging or ICP-MS analysis. k Se levels of GCs treated with respective SeMOE probes at indicated concentrations for 48 h. l In-gel fluorescence scanning of GCs treated with or without 1 mM 9AzSiaNSe for 48 h, followed by reaction with alkyne-Cy5. m Confocal fluorescence imaging of 9AzSiaNSe-labeled GCs. Scale bar: 20 μm. n Confocal fluorescence imaging of oocytes after co-incubation with 9AzSiaNSe-labeled GCs with or without 100 μM CBX. Scale bar: 20 μm. Error bars represent mean ± SD of n =  3 independent biological replicates. ns, not significant; all significant P values are indicated (one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc Dunnett’s test). Source data including exact P values are provided as a Source Data file. a, e, j created with BioRender.com.