PEGylation and dPEG® Products
PEGylation refers to the covalent addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to a compound or surface. PEGylated compounds include proteins, peptides, dyes or other labels, and small molecule drugs. Peptide synthesis frequently employs PEGylation to enhance the solubility of the peptide, because the amphiphilic character of PEG imparts tremendous water solubility to peptides. Moreover, peptide PEGylation prolongs the in vivo circulation of peptide conjugates by both increasing the peptide’s hydrodynamic volume and protecting the peptide from proteolysis. Additionally, PEGylation reduces or eliminates the antigenicity of the conjugated peptide.
However, traditional PEG products are dispersed polymers (Đ > 1.00). A traditional PEG consists of multiple chain lengths, each with different molecular weights. The stated molecular weight for a conventional PEG indicates an average of the distribution of chain lengths and molecular weights.
Quanta BioDesign’s single molecular weight PEG products (known as “discrete PEG” and sold under the dPEG® trademark) provide all of the benefits of traditional, dispersed PEG without the analytical headache that comes from having an intractable mixture of conjugates, each with different PEG chain lengths. For a thorough discussion of dPEG® technology, please see our “What is dPEG®?” page. For answers to the questions that we are most often asked, please visit our page “Frequently Asked Questions (about dPEG® products).”
Using Fmoc-N-amido-dPEG®24-TFP ester
Fmoc-N-amido-dPEG®24-TFP ester permits our customers to insert a long (76 atoms) dPEG® into a peptide chain using standard Fmoc chemistry. The product works equally well in solid-phase and solution-phase synthetic processes. The dPEG® linker attaches to the N-terminal end of the peptide chain. Additional peptide synthesis can be carried out to extend the peptide further, creating a peptide with a flexible linker or spacer in the middle. Also, the dPEG® chain can provide spacing in a synthetic construct where steric hindrance is a problem. The amphiphilic nature of dPEG® means that the construct will gain water solubility while remaining soluble in an organic solvent. The Fmoc protecting group removes easily with a solution of piperidine in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF).
Tetrafluorophenyl esters are generally superior to the more commonly used N-hydroxysuccinimidyl (NHS) esters. The 2,3,5,6-tetrafluorophenyl group is more stable to hydrolysis than NHS esters. Also, TFP esters are more reactive to amines than NHS esters. Quanta BioDesign has additional information on why TFP esters are superior to NHS esters on our website.
Additional Fmoc-dPEG® Products
To help our customers discover the optimum linker length necessary for a particular product or application, Fmoc-N-amido-dPEG®24-TFP ester, product number 11007, is part of a line of Fmoc-protected amino-dPEG® TFP esters. Additionally, we offer a range of Fmoc-protected amino acids as the acid or as the NHS ester. We invite you to consider all of our peptide modifiers and protected linkers whenever you need a single molecular weight PEG for your application or product development.
Commercial Scale Production
If you need bulk product in a larger package size than our standard sizes, please contact us for a quote. Our commercial capabilities permit us to manufacture this product at any scale that you need.
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