Tag-free protein modification by lipoate ligase A: exploring substrate tolerance

This study delves into the functional intricacies of lipoate ligase A (LplA), an enzyme showing great promise in bioconjugation due to its unique capacity for introducing azido groups into proteins without requiring a genetic tag. We aimed to enhance the understanding of LplA's functionality, particularly its substrate tolerance and the reliability of various analytical techniques. A pivotal aspect of our approach was incorporating azido groups into a range of proteins, followed by the addition of the fluorescent molecule Cy3 via click chemistry. Analysis of fluorescent intensity in the altered proteins indicated varying degrees of conjugation. Additionally, phenyl resin-based RP-HPLC facilitated effective separation of modified proteins, unmodified proteins, and remaining fluorescent tags post-separation. SASA analysis provided insights into conjugation trends, guiding the identification of proteins amenable to LplA's tag-free modification. Our findings demonstrate LplA's broad substrate tolerability for protein modification.