Tracking down protein-protein interactions via a FRET-system using site-specific thiol-labeling.

Förster resonance energy transfer is among the most popular tools to follow protein-protein interactions. Although limited to certain cases, site-specific fluorescent labeling of proteins via natural functions by means of chemical manipulations can redeem laborious protein engineering techniques. Herein we report on the synthesis of a heterobifunctional tag and its use in site-specific protein labeling studies aiming at exploring protein-protein interactions. The oxadiazole-methylsulfonyl functionality serves as a thiol specific warhead that enables easy and selective installation of fluorescent labels through a bioorthogonal motif. Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK14) and its substrate mitogen activated protein kinase activated kinase (MAPKAP2) or its docking motif, a 22 amino acid-long peptide fragment, were labeled with a donor and an acceptor, respectively. Evolution of strong FRET signals upon protein-protein interactions supported the specific communication between the partners. Using an efficient FRET pair allowed the estimation of dissociation constants for protein-protein and peptide-protein interactions (145 nM and 240 nM, respectively).

Correction: A systematic study of protein labeling by fluorogenic probes using cysteine targeting vinyl sulfone-cyclooctyne tags.

Correction for 'A systematic study of protein labeling by fluorogenic probes using cysteine targeting vinyl sulfone-cyclooctyne tags' by B. Söveges, et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2016, 14, 6071-6078.

A systematic study of protein labeling by fluorogenic probes using cysteine targeting vinyl sulfone-cyclooctyne tags.

Fluorescent tagging of proteins via accessible cysteine residues is of paramount importance. In this study, model proteins of interest (mitogen-activated protein kinases) were labeled successfully in native state on their free thiols by direct fluorescence derivatization, or in a sequential manner where conjugation of the site specific linker and the fluorophore is carried out in two steps. To this end we designed and prepared two novel chemical reporters carrying vinyl sulfone as Cys targeting function and cyclooctyne motifs, suitable for subsequent conjugation with fluorogenic azides via copper free strain-promoted azide-alkyne click chemistry. Direct and sequential labeling reaction steps were analyzed by native PAGE, capillary zone electrophoresis and tandem mass spectrometry. The efficiency of tagging was correlated with solvent accessibility of the Cys residues. Our results indicated that conjugation of native proteins by vinyl sulfone linkers was fast and thiol-selective. Subsequent click reaction with fluorogenic dyes generates intensive fluorescence signals and fulfills all requirements of bioorthogonality.