DNAzymes for amine and peptide lysine acylation

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Molecular Biology
• Catalysis

Background:

• DNAzymes, or catalytic DNA molecules, have been identified for various chemical reactions.
• Peptide modification, particularly lysine acylation, presents a significant challenge for DNAzyme catalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify DNAzymes capable of catalyzing peptide lysine acylation.
• To expand the catalytic capabilities of DNAzymes for acylating amine groups.

Main Methods:

• Utilized in vitro selection techniques to discover DNAzymes.
• Employed reactive aryl ester acyl donors as electrophiles for the acylation reaction.

Main Results:

• Successfully identified DNAzymes that can acylate amines, including lysine side chains on DNA-anchored peptides.
• Demonstrated that some identified DNAzymes can transfer a glutaryl group to an amino group.

Conclusions:

• The study expands the known scope of DNAzyme-catalyzed reactions.
• The findings suggest future applications of DNAzymes for sequence-selective lysine acylation in peptides and proteins.