Chen PR*, Groff D, Guo J, Ou W, Cellitti S, Geierstanger BH, Schultz PG, A facile system for encoding unnatural amino acids in mammalian cells, ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE INTERNATIONAL EDITION, 48(22), 4052-4055. 2009.

Abstract A shuttle system has been developed to genetically encode unnatural amino acids in mammalian cells using aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) evolved in E. coli. A pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase (PylRS) mutant was evolved in E. coli that selectively aminoacylates a cognate nonsense suppressor tRNA with a photocaged lysine derivative. Transfer of this orthogonal tRNA-aaRS pair into mammalian cells made possible the selective incorporation of this unnatural amino acid into proteins.......