Speeding up protein labelling
The Spicer group in the Department of Chemistry have recently reported the design of new reagents for selectively labelling the N-termini of proteins. These N-termini are a high value target, and labelling them effectively has potential applications in protein analysis or the development of protein-based therapeutics.
N-termini represent a uniquely reactive site within proteins, but many previous strategies to target them were slow and unstable. To solve this problem, the team led by PhD student Lydia Barber in the Spicer group probed the effects of reagent design on each individual step of the reaction mechanism, allowing them to identify new classes of reagent that addressed these issues. As such, the team has created a toolbox of potential reagents that will unlock easier and faster labelling of protein N-termini.
Notes to editors:
This paper has been published in the American Chemical Society Journal JACS Au