N-Terminal Peptide Modification

Peptides that are chemically produced typically have free amino-terminals. N-terminal acetylation can stabilize synthetic peptides and improve their resistance to enzymatic breakdown by exopeptidases, bringing them closer to the charge state found in real proteins. Certain N-terminal alterations can be employed as immunological aids to boost antibody production or enable peptides to be attached to other biomolecules. They can also add dyes or tags to visualize the locations where peptides collect.