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Updated: Jun 24, 2025

Efficient and Site-specific Antibody Labeling by Strain-promoted Azide-alkyne Cycloaddition
Published on: December 23, 2016
Conjugating Hemoglobin and Albumin by Strain-Promoted Azide- Alkyne Cycloaddition
Chi Lee1, Harriet Wenxin Chung1, Ronald Kluger1
1Davenport Chemistry Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H6, Canada.
Abstract:
A one-to-one conjugate of cross-linked human hemoglobin and human serum albumin results from a strain-promoted alkyne-azide cycloaddition (SPAAC) of the modified proteins. Additions of a strained alkyne-substituted maleimide to the Cys-34 thiol of human serum albumin and an azide-containing cross-link between the amino groups of each β-unit at Lys-82 of human hemoglobin provide sites for coupling by the SPAAC process. The coupled hemoglobin-albumin conjugate can be readily purified from unreacted hemoglobin. The oxygen binding properties of the two-protein bioconjugate demonstrate oxygen affinity and cooperativity that are suitable for use in an acellular oxygen carrier.
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