Abstract
Site-selective reactions of water-soluble biomolecules are being developed to produce efficient conversions in water and water/solvent mixtures. This review focuses on the use of designs based on bis-bidentate chelation of large metal ions by diols to be acylated by a co-chelated water-stable reagent. Topics discussed include: 1. The preparation and properties of water-stable acyl phosphate monoesters and their reactions with diol-chelated metal ions. 2. Site-selective monoaminoacylation of 3′-terminal diols of RNA and their applications in protein engineering. 3. Site-selective monoacylation of sugars with acyl phosphate monoesters associated with metal ions, including lanthanum and lead. The combination of metal ion, 1,2-diol, and acyl phosphate monoester produces site-selective reactions in aqueous media that can produce a general approach to site-selective mono-(amino)acylation in RNA and carbohydrates.
1 Introduction
2 Synthetic Aminoacylation of tRNA
3 Activated Amino Acids in Water
4 Metal Ions and Their Effects on the Reactivity of Acyl Phosphate
Monoesters
5 The Challenge of Site-Selective Acylation of Carbohydrates in
Water
6 Conclusions and Prospects
Key words
site-selective - diol - acylation - aqueous - acyl phosphate monoesters - metal ions - chelation