Signal transduction and amplification through enzyme-triggered ligand release and accelerated catalysis

Sean Goggins, Barrie J. Marsh, Anneke Lubben, Christopher G. Frost

OAI: oai:purehost.bath.ac.uk:openaire_cris_publications/ddd68d63-bb73-4767-a0f8-e64e9bb30967 • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c5sc01588j

Signal transduction and signal amplification are both important mechanisms used within biological signalling pathways. Inspired by this process, we have developed a signal amplification methodology that utilises the selectivity and high activity of enzymes in combination with the robustness and generality of an organometallic catalyst, achieving a hybrid biological and synthetic catalyst cascade. A proligand enzyme substrate was designed to selectively self-immolate in the presence of the enzyme to release a ligand that can bind to a metal pre-catalyst and accelerate the rate of a transfer hydrogenation reaction. Enzyme-triggered catalytic signal amplification was then applied to a range of catalyst substrates demonstrating that signal amplification and signal transduction can both be achieved through this methodology.