title: Diels-Alder ligation of peptides and proteins.
abstract: The development of the Diels-Alder cycloaddition as a new method for the site-specific chemoselective ligation of peptides and proteins under mild conditions is reported. Peptides equipped with a 2,4-hexadienyl ester and an N-terminal maleimide react in aqueous media to give cycloadducts in high yields and depending on the amino acid sequence with high stereoselectivity. Except for the cysteine SH group the transformation is compatible with all amino acid side chain functional groups. For ligation to proteins the hexadienyl group was attached to avidin and streptavidin noncovalently by means of complex formation with a biotinylated peptide or by covalent attachment of a hexadienyl ester-containing label to lysine side chains incorporated into the proteins. Site-specific attachment of the hexadienyl unit into a Rab protein was achieved by means of expressed protein ligation followed by protection of the generated cysteine SH by means of Ellman's reagent. The protein reacted with different maleimido-modified peptides under mild conditions to give the fully functional cycloadducts in high yield. The results demonstrate that the Diels-Alder ligation offers an advantageous and technically straightforward new opportunity for the site-specific equipment of peptides and proteins with further functional groups and labels. It proceeds under very mild conditions and is compatible with most functional groups found in proteins. Its combination with other ligation methods, in particular expressed protein ligation is feasible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institut für molekulare Physiologie, Otto-Hahn-Strasse 11, 44227 Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Aline Dantas
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: de Araújo
authors.forename: Jose M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Palomo
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cramer
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.forename: Kirill
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alexandrov
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waldmann
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008024:Ligands; D008301:Maleimides / Q000737:chemistry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D011487:Protein Conformation; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011506:Proteins / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; D008301:Maleimides; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins; C043592:maleimide