Unnatural Amino Acids in Proteins for Development of Novel Biochemical Tools

Unnatural amino acids (UAAs) permit the incorporation of novel biochemical functionalities into proteins. This expansion of the genetic code has enabled enhanced spatial and temporal control of protein activity and conferred novel protein reactivity. This study examines the incorporation of three UAAs: fluoro-tyrosine, ortho-nitrobenzyl-tyrosine, and propargyloxy-phenylalanine towards various applications. Each UAA was successfully incorporated into a protein of interest (GFP or PRMT1) to facilitate the desired manipulation of protein function. The resulting alterations to GFP fluorescence, PRMT1 activity, or immobilization using Glaser-Hay bioconjugation demonstrate the success and practicality of the utilization of UAAs in the development of novel biochemical tools