An overview of chemo- and site-selectivity aspects in the chemical conjugation of proteins.

Fiche publication


Date publication

janvier 2022

Journal

Royal Society open science

Auteurs

Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Dr WAGNER Alain, Dr CHAUBET Guilhem


Tous les auteurs :
Sornay C, Vaur V, Wagner A, Chaubet G

Résumé

The bioconjugation of proteins-that is, the creation of a covalent link between a protein and any other molecule-has been studied for decades, partly because of the numerous applications of protein conjugates, but also due to the technical challenge it represents. Indeed, proteins possess inner physico-chemical properties-they are sensitive and polynucleophilic macromolecules-that make them complex substrates in conjugation reactions. This complexity arises from the mild conditions imposed by their sensitivity but also from selectivity issues, the precise control of the conjugation site on the protein. After decades of research, strategies and reagents have been developed to address two aspects of this selectivity: chemoselectivity-harnessing the reacting chemical functionality-and site-selectivity-controlling the reacting amino acid residue-most notably thanks to the participation of synthetic chemistry in this effort. This review offers an overview of these chemical bioconjugation strategies, insisting on those employing native proteins as substrates, and shows that the field is active and exciting, especially for synthetic chemists seeking new challenges.

Mots clés

bioconjugation, chemoselectivity, proteins, site-selectivity, synthetic chemistry

Référence

R Soc Open Sci. 2022 Jan;9(1):211563