Enzyme cleavable and biotinylated photoaffinity ligand with diazirine

The efficient synthesis of an enzyme cleavable biotinylated diazirinyl photoaffinity ligand is described to allow the effective manipulation of the photolabeled biocomponents. The compound contains a glutamic acid gamma-methyl ester, which is a precursor of the substrate for V8 protease, between the diazirinyl photophor and biotin moiety. After alkaline hydrolysis of the ester, the compound can be proteolyzed at the Glu moiety by V8 protease. The photophore was introduced to L-Phe p-nitroanilide and the ligand was applied to photolabel of chymotrypsin to manipulate the application of the concept. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.