This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Protein phosphorylation is a major mechanism of post-translational protein modification used to control cellular signaling. A challenge in phosphoproteomics is to identify the direct substrates of each protein kinase. We have developed a chemical strategy for delivery of a bio-orthogonal affinity tag to the substrates of an individual protein kinase. The kinase of interest is engineered to transfer a phosphorothioate moiety to phosphoacceptor hydroxyl groups on direct substrates. In a second non-enzymatic step, the introduced phosphorothioate is alkylated with p-nitrobenzylmesylate (PNBM). Antibodies directed against the modified phosphorothioate epitope recognize these labeled substrates, but not alkylation products of other cellular nucleophiles. Immunoaffinity chromatography allows the purification of these substrates, and mass spectrometry provides an attractive method for their rapid identification.
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