Abstract
Bioorthogonal reactions hold significant promise for applications in chemical biology.
Despite their potential, nitriles have often been overlooked as reactive functional
groups for selective bioconjugation. The condensation reaction between cyanopyridines
and 1,2-aminothiols stands out as a particularly favorable nitrile modification strategy
that proceeds under biocompatible conditions. Cyanopyridines can be seamlessly incorporated
into peptides and proteins through both chemical and biotechnological approaches.
Similarly, the selective integration of 1,2-aminothiols into peptides and proteins
is achievable, leveraging the uniquely reactive N-terminal cysteine functional group.
1 Introduction
2 The Biocompatible Condensation Reaction
3 Peptide Macrocyclisation
4 Orthogonality to Cysteine
5 Combination with Genetic Encoding
6 Conclusion
Key words
click chemistry - bioconjugation - peptides - proteins - bioorthogonal - nitrile -
cysteine
