I'm running a quantitative proteomics experiment on biotynylated proteins (using BioID approach, followed by streptavidin pulldown). I'm planning to use reductive methylation (formaldehyde and sodium cyanoborohydride) for labelling and comparing control and experimental samples. I just noticed biotin has a urea like backbone (-NH-CO-NH-)... does anyone know if these N are suceptible to methylation reaction?? my chemistry is rusty?
Thanks
Alex