Synthesis of rhamnosylated arginine glycopeptides and determination of the glycosidic linkage in bacterial elongation factor P

Chem Sci. 2017 Mar 1;8(3):2296-2302. doi: 10.1039/c6sc03847f. Epub 2016 Dec 12.

Abstract

A new class of N-linked protein glycosylation - arginine rhamnosylation - has recently been discovered as a critical modification for the function of bacterial elongation factor P (EF-P). Herein, we describe the synthesis of suitably protected α- and β-rhamnosylated arginine amino acid "cassettes" that can be directly installed into rhamnosylated peptides. Preparation of a proteolytic fragment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa EF-P bearing both α- and β-rhamnosylated arginine enabled the unequivocal determination of the native glycosidic linkage to be α through 2D NMR and nano-UHPLC-tandem mass spectrometry studies.