The coupling between an amine and APN-COCl should be performed in dry organic solvents (e.g. THF) in the presence of a base (e.g. TEA). The resulting conjugate can be readily coupled with thiol-containing biomolecules using the following protocol:
- Dissolve the protein in the appropriate buffer with pH 6.5-9.0 (e.g. PBS) at 1-10 mg/mL concentration.
- Apply the appropriate amount of the stock solution of the APN-labeled molecule (1-5 molar eq. per free cysteine residue).
- Incubate at room temperature for 2 hours.
If necessary, purify the protein conjugate using size exclusion chromatography or ultrafiltration.