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Cover Picture: Micelle‐Enhanced Bioorthogonal Labeling of Genetically Encoded Azido Groups on the Lipid‐Embedded Surface of a GPCR (ChemBioChem 9/2015)
Author(s) -
Tian He,
Sakmar Thomas P.,
Huber Thomas
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chembiochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1439-7633
pISSN - 1439-4227
DOI - 10.1002/cbic.201590021
Subject(s) - bioorthogonal chemistry , chemistry , micelle , cover (algebra) , combinatorial chemistry , biochemistry , biophysics , computational biology , nanotechnology , click chemistry , organic chemistry , biology , materials science , aqueous solution , mechanical engineering , engineering
The cover picture shows how the discovery of micelle‐enhanced strain‐promoted [3+2] azide–alkyne cycloaddition (SpAAC) facilitates site‐specific labeling of G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) and other membrane proteins. As the amphipathic labeling reagent partitions into hydrophobic micelles, a local high concentration of cyclooctyne “clicks” to an azido group of a site‐specifically encoded azido phenylalanine in the transmembrane region of the protein. Rate enhancements of several orders of magnitude are achieved, and this is vital to introduce fluorescent probes into labile membrane proteins. Micelle‐enhanced SpAAC represents a new strategy to introduce fluorescent labels into the hydrophobic region of a membrane protein. As depicted in an artist's conception representing the acceleration of the labeling reaction, micelles containing rhodopsin speed forward as they become illuminated due to the introduction of the fluorescent probe. For more details, see the paper by H. Tian, T. P. Sakmar and T. Huber on p. 1314 ff. Original illustration: Karina Åberg.