Gidley M J, Sanders J K
Biochem J. 1982 Apr 1;203(1):331-4. doi: 10.1042/bj2030331.
Reductive methylation of protein amino groups with formaldehyde and sodium cyanoborohydride is shown to give up to 25% yield of N-cyanomethyl (-CH2CN) product; on work up of the reaction this is hydrolysed back to starting amine, lowering the methylation yield. Addition of metal ions such as Ni2+, which complex with free cyanide ion, improve reductive methylation yields by suppressing by-product formation. The N-cyanomethyl group itself, produced in good yield when cyanide ion replaces cyanoborohydride, may have some value as a reversible modifier of amino groups in proteins.
结果表明,用甲醛和氰基硼氢化钠对蛋白质氨基进行还原甲基化反应,可得到高达25%产率的N-氰甲基(-CH2CN)产物;在反应后处理过程中,该产物会水解回起始胺,从而降低甲基化产率。添加如Ni2+等能与游离氰离子络合的金属离子,可通过抑制副产物生成来提高还原甲基化产率。当氰离子取代氰基硼氢化钠时,能以较高产率生成N-氰甲基基团,该基团作为蛋白质中氨基的可逆修饰剂可能具有一定价值。