Concise total synthesis of glucosepane

Abstract

Getting a handle on a cross-linking motif Although protein backbones consist exclusively of amino acids, various other molecules in the cell often get latched on afterward in a process termed posttranslational modification. In one such motif, called glucosepane, the side chains of lysine and arginine form a condensed cross-link through a reaction sequence with glucose. Formation of this cross-link is of interest in diabetes research. Draghici et al. now report a chemical synthesis of glucosepane outside the broader environment of a surrounding protein (see the Perspective by Boger). This synthesis should facilitate more precise characterization of the structure and function of the motif in vivo. Science , this issue p. 294 ; see also p. 275