Molecular design, chemical synthesis, and evaluation of novel anthracene derivatives as a new family of protein photocleavers

The newly designed and synthesized artificial anthracene derivatives possessing a deoxyamino sugar effectively and randomly cleaved proteins, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA) and hen egg lysozyme (Lyso), during photoirradiation using a long wavelength UV light (365 nm) without any further additives. Furthermore, it was found that the cleaving ability of anthracene could be improved by the attachment of a suitable substituent into anthracene core skeleton.