Amino acids and peptides. XXXIII. Synthesis of N-terminal epitope peptides of mammalian metallothioneins (MTs).

In order to determine the fine structure of the mammalian metallothionein (MT) epitope to a monoclonal anti-rat Zn-MT-II antibody (MT 189-14-7), N-terminal peptides of various lengths of mammalian metallothioneins (MTs) were synthesized by a conventional solution method using the newly developed beta-2-adamantylaspartate, and their immunological properties were examined. It was found that the N-terminal acetyl group was indispensable for the reaction with the monoclonal antibody and the N-terminally acetylated pentapeptide, Ac-Met-Asp-Pro-Asn-Cys-OH, was the smallest peptide which exhibited a significant reactivity with the antibody.