sodium-cyanoborohydride and alpha-aminopyridine

We developed a procedure to measure 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE)-amino acid adducts using the fluorescent probe 2-aminopyridine (2-AP). The method is based on the fact that HNE forms Michael addition-type amino acid adducts possessing an aldehyde functionality, which upon reaction with 2-AP in the presence of NaBH₃CN can be converted to their pyridylaminated derivatives. The HNE-amino acid adducts, namely Michael addition-type HNE-cysteine, HNE-histidine, and HNE-lysine adducts, after pyridylamination were resistant to conventional acid-hydrolysis conditions for protein (6N HCl/110°C/24 h) and could be detected by HPLC with a fluorescence detector. The reductive amination-based fluorescent labeling of HNE adducts is a simple and accurate technique that may be widely used to reveal increased levels of covalently modified proteins with HNE and its related aldehydes during aging and disease.

Topics: Aldehydes; Aminopyridines; Borohydrides; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Proteins; Spectrometry, Fluorescence

The sensitivity of a fluorescence labeling method ((1979). J. Biochem. 85, 989--994; 995--1002) for structure analyses of asparagine-linked sugar moieties of glycoproteins was increased by using HPLC with a fluorescence detector. Sugar moieties were separated from polypeptide portions by hydrazinolysis. Free amino groups thus exposed were acetylated and the reducing ends of sugar chains were reductively aminated with a fluorescent reagent, 2-aminopyridine, by the use of sodium cyanoborohydride. The pyridylamino derivatives were purified on a Dowex 1 column to eliminate undesired substances. The separation and identification of the pyridylamino derivatives were carried out by HPLC with a column of C18 reversed phase or gel permeation phase. As little as 0.1 pmol of pyridylamino derivatives can be detected. Ten microgram of Taka-amylase A was easily detected by this system. The method was also applied to some other glycoproteins.

Topics: alpha-Amylases; Aminopyridines; Borohydrides; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Cyanides; Disaccharides; Fluorescent Dyes; Glucans; Glycoproteins; Hydrazines; Oligosaccharides; Spectrometry, Fluorescence