Genetic Encoding of A Nonhydrolyzable Phosphotyrosine Analog in Mammalian Cells

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation plays a critical role in signal transduction and the regulation of many cellular processes. It is of great significance to understand the underlying regulatory mechanism of particular tyrosine phosphorylation events. Here we report the genetic incorporation of a phosphotyrosine (pTyr) analog, p-carboxymethyl-L-phenylalanine (CMF), into proteins in mammalian cells. This nonhydrolyzable pTyr analog can facilitate biological studies by removing complications caused by the dynamic interconversion between the phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated isoforms of a protein. The developed methodology was demonstrated by using the human signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) as a model protein for homogeneous and defined incorporation of CMF. This tool will greatly enhance ones capability to study protein tyrosine phosphorylation-associated biomolecular and cellular events, and enhance biomedical research that target protein tyrosine phosphorylation, which will have a broad impact to both fundamental studies and practical applications.