Patent ID: 7288382

Claim:
A method for analysis of protein structure, the method comprising: i. producing a modified protein by co-expression of: a) a polynucleotide encoding a mutant cysteinyl tRNA comprising an altered anticodon for misincorp oration of a cysteine residue, b) a cysteinyl tRNA synthetase, and c) a polynucleotide encoding a protein of interest, wherein said co-expression results in production of a modified protein having a misincorporated cysteine residue; ii. providing for folding of the modified protein; iii. contacting the folded modified protein with a sulfhydryl-reactive compound under conditions suitable for modification of a solvent accessible cysteine residue in the modified protein; and iv. identifying reacted cysteine; wherein reaction of the sulfhydryl-reactive compound with the misincorporated cysteine residue indicates that the residue is solvent accessible.