Enzymatic C-Terminal Protein Engineering with Amines

Chemoenzymatic protein and peptide modification is a powerful means of generating defined, homogeneous conjugates for a range of applications. However, the use of transpeptidases is limited by the need to prepare synthetic peptide conjugates to be ligated, bulky recognition tags remaining in the product, and inefficient substrate turnover. Here, we report a peptide/protein labeling strategy that utilizes a promiscuous, engineered transpeptidase to irreversibly incorporate diverse, commercially available amines at a C-terminal asparagine. To demonstrate the utility of this approach, we prepare a protein-drug conjugate, generate a genetically inaccessible C-to-C protein fusion, and site specifically label both termini of a single protein in sequential steps.