Sortase-Mediated Ligation of Purely Artificial Building Blocks

• Main Authors: Xiaolin Dai, Diana M. Mate, Ulrich Glebe, Tayebeh Mirzaei Garakani, Andrea Körner, Ulrich Schwaneberg, Alexander Böker
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-02-01
• Series: Polymers
• Subjects: sortase-mediated ligation; enzymes; block copolymers; nanoparticles
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/10/2/151

Sortase A (SrtA) from Staphylococcus aureus has been often used for ligating a protein with other natural or synthetic compounds in recent years. Here we show that SrtA-mediated ligation (SML) is universally applicable for the linkage of two purely artificial building blocks. Silica nanoparticles (NPs), poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) are chosen as synthetic building blocks. As a proof of concept, NP–polymer, NP–NP, and polymer–polymer structures are formed by SrtA catalysis. Therefore, the building blocks are equipped with the recognition sequence needed for SrtA reaction—the conserved peptide LPETG—and a pentaglycine motif. The successful formation of the reaction products is shown by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The sortase catalyzed linkage of artificial building blocks sets the stage for the development of a new approach to link synthetic structures in cases where their synthesis by established chemical methods is complicated.