Preparation of a photoaffinity probe for the Man6P/IGF-II receptor

A photoaffinity probe, 2-(4-phosphopentamanniminophenyl)ethyl-(4-azido) salicylamide, was prepared for photolabelling of the mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor II receptor. The probe was synthesized from phosphopentamannan and 2-(4-aminophenyl)ethylamine followed by coupling with photosensitive 4-azidosalicylic acid. The 125I-labelled probe was reacted with receptor purified from rat liver under irradiation with ultraviolet light. Fluorography of the reaction product on a polyacrylamide gel effectively detected the receptor coupled to the photoprobe as a molecular mass of 250 kDa. Specific binding of the probe or of radiolabelled insulin-like growth factor II was not inhibited by the growth factor or by mannose 6-phosphate, confirming different binding sites to the receptor between the ligands.