Radioiodination of proteins by reductive alkylation

The use of the aliphatic aldehyde, para-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde as the reactive moiety in the radioiodination of proteins by reductive alkylation is described. The para-hydroxyphenyl group is radiolabeled with 125I, reacted through its aliphatic aldehyde group with primary amino groups on proteins to form a reversible Schiff base linkage which can then be stabilized with the mild reducing agent NaCNBH3. The introduction of the methylene group between the benzene ring and the aldehyde group increases its reactivity with protein amino groups permitting efficient labeling at low aldehyde concentrations. Using this method, radioiodinated proteins with high specific activity can be produced. The reductive alkylation procedure is advantageous in that the labeling conditions are mild, the reaction is specific for lysyl residues, and the modification of the epsilon-ammonium group of lysine results in ionizable secondary amino groups avoiding major changes in protein charge.