Protein S-Glyco-Modification through an Elimination-Addition Mechanism

Per-O-acetylated unnatural monosaccharides containing a bioorthogonal group have been widely used for metabolic glycan labeling (MGL) in live cells for two decades, but it is only recently that we discovered the existence of an artificial "S-glycosylation" between protein cysteines and per-O-acetylated sugars. While efforts are being made to avoid this nonspecific reaction in MGL, the reaction mechanism remains unknown. Here, we present a detailed mechanistic investigation, which unveils the "S-glycosylation" being an atypical glycosylation termed S-glyco-modification. In alkaline protein microenvironments, per-O-acetylated monosaccharides undergo base-promoted β-elimination to form thiol-reactive α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, which then react with cysteine residues via Michael addition. This S-glyco-modification produces 3-thiolated sugars in hemiacetal form, rather than typical glycosides. The elimination-addition mechanism guides us to develop 1,6-di-O-propionyl-N-azidoacetylgalactosamine (1,6-Pr₂GalNAz) as an improved unnatural monosaccharide for MGL.