We designed and synthesised peptides conjugated with proline linkers and ruthenium photocatalysts. These peptides were used as substrates to evaluate the photocatalyst-proximity dependences of candidates for tyrosine labelling reagents. The 1-methyl-4-aryl-urazole (MAUra) structure was found to be a novel tyrosyl radical trapping agent to label tyrosine residues effectively under the conditions where the ruthenium photocatalyst and tyrosine were in close proximity. Using a ruthenium photocatalyst conjugated to a carbonic anhydrase ligand, the target protein in a complex protein mixture was labelled with remarkable target selectivity by azide- or desthiobiotin-conjugated MAUra derivatives.

While electrophilic reagents for histidine labeling have been developed, we report an umpolung strategy for histidine functionalization. A nucleophilic small molecule, 1-methyl-4-arylurazole, selectively labeled histidine under singlet oxygen (1O2) generation conditions. Rapid histidine labeling can be applied for instant protein labeling. Utilizing the short diffusion distance of 1O2 and a technique to localize the 1O2 generator, a photocatalyst in close proximity to the ligand-binding site, we demonstrated antibody Fc-selective labeling on magnetic beads functionalized with a ruthenium photocatalyst and Fc ligand, ApA. Three histidine residues located around the ApA binding site were identified as labeling sites by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis. This result suggests that 1O2-mediated histidine labeling can be applied to a proximity labeling reaction on the nanometer scale.

Selective purification and chemical labeling of a target protein in a protein mixture were simultaneously achieved on the surface of affinity beads functionalized with ligands, such as benzenesulfonamide and methotrexate (MTX), and a ruthenium complex containing 2,2'-bipyridine-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid (dcbpy). Chemical labeling of the target protein with a tyrosine radical trapper (TRT) proceeded on the surface of the beads when the target protein was in close proximity to the ruthenium photocatalyst. Both the protein purification and chemical labeling abilities of the affinity beads functionalized with ruthenium photocatalyst were not compromised after recycling several times. Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) endogenously expressed in HeLa cells was detected by chemical labeling with biotin-TRT on the affinity beads with high sensitivity compared to the conventional silver staining method.