Advertisement

If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)

ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCES TO C&EN

Biological Chemistry

Streamlined Way To Label Glycoproteins

A novel technique for labeling sialylated glycoproteins on animal cell surfaces could have advantages for using proteins to diagnose diseases

by Stu Borman
March 2, 2009 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 87, Issue 9

TAGGED
[+]Enlarge
Periodate oxidation and aniline-catalyzed oxime ligation add biotin tags to sialylated glycoproteins in living cells; green ovals are glycoproteins located in the cell membrane.
Periodate oxidation and aniline-catalyzed oxime ligation add biotin tags to sialylated glycoproteins in living cells; green ovals are glycoproteins located in the cell membrane.

A novel method for labeling sialylated glycoproteins on animal cell surfaces could have important advantages for glycoproteomics—population studies of glycosylated proteins for cancer diagnostics and other applications (Nat. Methods, DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1305). In current labeling techniques, reactive groups such as alkynes are introduced into cells as reagent-derivatized substrates that are taken up and incorporated into cell glycoproteins during biosynthesis. The new approach, developed by Philip E. Dawson, James C. Paulson, and coworkers at Scripps Research Institute, is the first to efficiently label cellular glycoproteins by direct synthesis. The researchers use periodate oxidation of diols in conjunction with aniline-catalyzed oxime ligation to add biotin tags to sialic acids on cell glycoproteins. The method is inexpensive and nontoxic, doesn't require growing cells in the presence of reagent- derivatized sugar precursors, and achieves 10- to 100-fold higher levels of labeling than with biosynthetic techniques.

Article:

This article has been sent to the following recipient:

0 /1 FREE ARTICLES LEFT THIS MONTH Remaining
Chemistry matters. Join us to get the news you need.