Site-specific protein labeling by Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase

Nat Protoc. 2006;1(1):280-5. doi: 10.1038/nprot.2006.43.

Abstract

Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase covalently attaches small-molecule probes including biotin and various organic fluorophores to a specific serine residue in the peptidyl carrier protein (PCP) or a short 11-residue peptide tag ybbR through a phosphopantetheinyl linker. We describe here a protocol for site-specific protein labeling by Sfp-catalyzed protein post-translational modification that includes (i) expression and purification of Sfp, (ii) synthesis of small-molecule probe-CoA conjugates, (iii) construction of target protein fusions with PCP or the ybbR tag, (iv) labeling PCP- or ybbR-tagged target protein fusions in cell lysates and on live cell surfaces and (v) imaging fluorophore-labeled cell surface receptors by fluorescence microscopy. To follow this protocol, we advise that you allow 3 d for the expression and purification of Sfp phosphopantetheinyl transferase, 1 d for the synthesis and purification of the small-molecule probe-CoA conjugates as the substrates of Sfp, 3 d for the cloning of target protein genes as fusions to the PCP or the ybbR tag in the appropriate plasmids and another 3 d for transfecting cell lines with the plasmids and the expression of PCP- or ybbR-tagged proteins. Labeling of the PCP- or the ybbR-tagged proteins in cell lysates or on cell surfaces should require only 15-30 min.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Proteins / chemistry*
  • Bacterial Proteins / metabolism
  • Biotin / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods
  • Molecular Probes / chemistry*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Serine / chemistry
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) / chemistry*
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) / metabolism

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Molecular Probes
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • phosphopantetheinyl transferase
  • Serine
  • Biotin
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups)