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Updated: May 1, 2026
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Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
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Cosolvent Effects Question the Role of Water in Native Chemical Ligation
Julie Di Adamo1, Vangelis Agouridas1,2, Vincent Diemer1
1Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019 - UMR 9017 - CIIL - Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, F-59000 Lille, France.
Organic Letters
|December 8, 2025
Summary
Guanidine hydrochloride and acetonitrile inhibit native chemical ligation (NCL). This suggests that water plays an active role in the NCL mechanism, impacting its efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Chemical Biology
Background:
- Native chemical ligation (NCL) is a widely used method for peptide and protein synthesis.
- Understanding the factors that influence NCL efficiency is crucial for its application in complex biomolecule construction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of guanidine hydrochloride and acetonitrile on NCL.
- To elucidate the role of water structure in NCL.
Main Methods:
- Studied the effect of varying concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride and acetonitrile on NCL rates.
- Analyzed the influence of these cosolvents on water structure and its correlation with NCL inhibition.
Main Results:
- Both guanidine hydrochloride and acetonitrile were found to strongly inhibit NCL.
- The inhibitory effects correlated with alterations in water structure induced by the cosolvents.
Conclusions:
- Water actively participates in the native chemical ligation mechanism.
- Cosolvents that disrupt water structure significantly inhibit NCL, highlighting the importance of the aqueous environment.
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