As a unique and unappreciated protein posttranslational modification, arginine N-glycosylation was recently discovered to play an important role in the process that bacteria counteract host defenses. To provide chemical tools for further proteomic and biochemical studies on arginine N-glycosylation, we report the first general strategy for a rapid and cost-effective synthesis of glycopeptides carrying single or multiple arginine N-GlcNAcyl groups. These glycopeptides were successfully utilized to generate the first antibodies that can specifically recognize arginine N-GlcNAcylated peptides or proteins in a sequence-independent manner.
Keywords: N-GlcNAcylation; antibodies; arginine; glycopeptides; solid-phase peptide synthesis.
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