AMPylation is a post-translational modification which is not well-understood. Current methods for detecting AMPylation include radioactive ATP, targeted mass spectrometry, and specific antibodies. The authors of this paper have developed a new method for detection of AMPylation using click chemistry. Native AMPylators are able to utilize N6-propargyl ATP as a substrate. This small molecule will be able to be utilized by more labs than radioactive ATP and can be modified with a variety of molecules including fluorophores for detection and biotin for purification.
We saw the same exact strategy with another post-translational modification, palmitoylation. Attaching the azide to your molecule is both really simple and allows for labeling as well as purification. I didn't know AMPylation existed, so glad to know now.
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