Kinase substrates detected by dansylation

Detecting substrates of kinases by labeling them is an important technique as well as future goal in profiling novel kinases with important biological activity.

In this method, dansyl-ATP has been used as a co-substrate for kinases. The dansyl group is transferred to the substrate peptides and detected by MALDI-TOF. The authors further extend the method to FRET detection of dansyl-labeled substrates that have fluorophores attached to them.

The general idea seems to be be to use gamma-phosphate modified ATP analogues which are accommodated in many kinase active sites. Dansylation is an old and well-known method for peptide sequencing.

Keith D. Green, Mary Kay H. Pflum (2009). Exploring Kinase Cosubstrate Promiscuity: Monitoring Kinase Activity through Dansylation ChemBioChem, 10 (2), 234-237 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.200800393