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Updated: Jun 9, 2026
07:11
Constructing Cyclic Peptides Using an On-Tether Sulfonium Center
Published on: September 28, 2022
Versatile Sulfonium Tools for Chemoselective Modification of Proteins
Yumo Zhao1, Ting Luo1, Mingxuan Wu1,2,3
1Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Precise Synthesis of Functional Molecules, Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310030, Zhejiang Province, China.
Biochemistry
|June 8, 2026
Summary
Sulfonium reagents enable precise chemical modification of proteins. These tools are advancing protein engineering for applications like targeted cancer therapies and molecular probes.
Area of Science:
- Chemical Biology
- Biochemistry
- Organic Chemistry
Background:
- Protein modifications are crucial for regulating cellular activities and developing therapeutic agents.
- Chemoselective protein modification requires reagents with high reactivity and selectivity.
- Sulfonium compounds, inspired by natural molecules like S-adenosyl methionine, offer unique chemical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the development and applications of sulfonium-based tools for protein modification.
- To highlight the evolution of sulfonium reagents for site-specific protein targeting.
- To discuss the future potential of sulfonium chemistry in protein science.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of sulfonium chemistry in protein modification.
- Analysis of sulfonium reagent development for targeting specific amino acids (cysteine, lysine, arginine, tryptophan, tyrosine).
- Examination of applications including covalent drugs and protein identification probes.
Main Results:
- Sulfonium reagents have been developed for selective modification of cysteine and lysine residues.
- Advanced sulfonium tools now enable site-specific modification of multiple amino acids.
- These tools facilitate the creation of covalent drugs and probes for biological research.
Conclusions:
- Sulfonium chemistry provides versatile tools for precise protein modification.
- Continued development of sulfonium reagents will expand their utility in drug discovery and chemical biology.
- Sulfonium-based strategies hold significant promise for future advancements in protein engineering and therapeutic development.
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