Synthesis of Bifunctional Azobenzene Glycoconjugates for Cysteine-Based Photosensitive Cross-Linking with Bioactive Peptides

Azobenzene linker molecules can be utilized to control peptide/protein function when they are ligated to appropriately spaced amino acid side chains of the peptide. This is because the photochemical E/Z isomerization of the azobenzene N=N double bond allows to switch peptide conformation between folded and unfolded. In this context, we have introduced carbohydrate-functionalized azobenzene derivatives in order to advance the biocompatible properties of azobenzene peptide linkers. Chloroacetamide-functionalized and O-allylated carbohydrate derivatives were synthesized and conjugated with azobenzene to achieve new bifunctional cross-linkers, in order to allow ligation to cysteine side chains by nucleophilic substitution or thiol-ene reaction, respectively. The photochromic properties of the new linker glycoconjugates were determined and first ligation reactions performed.

azobenzene glycoconjugates; cysteine ligation; molecular switches; peptide cross-linking; photocontrol.