title: Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Oligo(L-cysteine) for Use as a Thermostable Bio-Based Material.
abstract: Oligomerization of thiol-unprotected L-cysteine ethyl ester (Cys-OEt) catalyzed by proteinase K in aqueous solution has been used to synthesize oligo(L-cysteine) (OligoCys) with a well-defined chemical structure and relatively large degree of polymerization (DP) up to 16-17 (average 8.8). By using a high concentration of Cys-OEt, 78.0% free thiol content was achieved. The thermal properties of OligoCys are stable, with no glass transition until 200 °C, and the decomposition temperature could be increased by oxidation. Chemoenzymatically synthesized OligoCys has great potential for use as a thermostable bio-based material with resistance to oxidation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Yinan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Enzyme Research Team, Biomass Engineering Program Cooperation Division, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China. zbli@iccas.ac.cn.|School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China. zbli@iccas.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Zhibo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Enzyme Research Team, Biomass Engineering Program Cooperation Division, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. keiji.numata@riken.jp.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Numata
mesh_terms: D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D019286:Endopeptidase K / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D058105:Polymerization; D055550:Protein Stability
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; C031752:ethyl cysteine; C057713:polycysteine; D019286:Endopeptidase K; D003545:Cysteine
keywords: cysteine; oligomerization; peptides; proteinase K; thermostable