A Method for Rigorously Selective Capture and Simultaneous Fluorescent Labeling of N-Terminal Glycine Peptides

Although chemical methods for the selective derivatization of amino acid (AA) side chains in peptides and proteins are available, selective N-terminal labeling is challenging, especially for glycine, which has no side chain at the α-carbon position. We report here a double activation at glycine’s α-methylene group that allows this AA to be differentiated from the other 19 AAs. A condensation reaction of dibenzoylmethane with glycine results in the formation of an imine, and subsequent tautomerization is followed by intramolecular cyclization, leading to the formation of a fluorescent pyrrole ring. Additionally, the approach exhibits compatibility with AAs possessing reactive side chains. Further, the method allows for selective pull-down assays of N-terminal glycine peptides from mixtures without prior knowledge of the N-terminal peptide distribution.