PHOTOCHEMICAL ADDITION OF AMINO ACIDS AND PEPTIDES TO POLYURIDYLIC ACID

Abstract— The quantum yields for photochemical addition of glycine and the L-amino acids commonly occurring in proteins (excluding proline) to polyuridylic acid have been determined in deoxygenated phosphate buffer at pH 7, using a fluorescamine assay technique. All twenty amino acids were found to be reactive, with cysteine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, arginine, lysine and methionine being the most reactive. The analogous quantum yields for a series of eighteen dipeptides of the form glycyl X (X being one of the commonly occurring amino acids, including proline), of L-alanyl-L-tryptophan, of the tripeptides L-seryl-L-seryl-L-serine and L-threonyl-L-threonyl-L-threonine, of the tetrapeptide L-cystine- bis -glycine, and of the lysine derivative N_α-acetyllysine were also measured. All were found to be reactive toward photoaddition to poly U.     

Polyamide Layer Chromatography. Identification of Amino Acids in Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa via DNP Derivative

Eighteen amino acids; proline, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, hydroxyproline, phenylalanine, ornithine, glycine, serine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, threonine, asparagine, lysine, tyrosine, tryptophan, and arginine were identified by polyamide layer chromatography via DNP (dinitrophenly) derivatives in Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa (Tang-Kwei)     

Analysis of cyclic pyrolysis products formed from amino acid monomer

Amino acid was mixed with silica and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) to favor pyrolysis of amino acid monomer. The pyrolysis products formed from amino acid monomer were using GC/MS and GC. 20 amino acids of alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine were analyzed. The pyrolysis products were divided into cyclic and non-cyclic products. Among the 20 amino acids, arginine, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, histidine, lysine, and phenylalanine generated cyclic pyrolysis products of the monomer. New cyclic pyrolysis products were formed by isolation of amino acid monomers. They commonly had polar side functional groups to 5-, 6-, or 7-membered ring structure. Arginine, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, histidine, and phenylalanine generated only 5- or 6-membered ring products. However, lysine generated both 6- and 7-membered ring compounds. Variations of the relative intensities of the cyclic pyrolysis products with the pyrolysis temperature and amino acid concentration were also investigated.     

Gas-Phase Binding of Noncovalent Complexes Between α-cyclodextrin and Amino Acids Investigated by Mass Spectrometry

Noncovalent complexes between cyclodextrins and small molecules have been extensively studied recently because of their widespread application in the pharmaceutical industry for chiral and molecular recognition. To date, gas phase noncovalent binding affinities between α-cyclodextrin and amino acids have not been widely investigated. In this study, gas-phase binding of noncovalent complexes between α-CD and amino acids was investigated by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), demonstrating the formation of 1:1 stoichiometric noncovalent complexes. The binding of the complexes were further confirmed by collision-induced dissociation by tandem mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometric titrations between α-cyclodextrin and phenylalanine, glutamic acid, and arginine were performed to provide binding constants (lgK_a) as references for competitive ESI-MS. Calibration curves for the complexes of α-cyclodextrin with phenylalanine, glutamic acid, and arginine were plotted. Through competitive ESI-MS, the lgK_a for the complexes of α-CD with aspartic acid, lysine, proline, glycine, alanine, asparagine, cystine, glutamine, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, serine, threonine, and valine were measured directly. By comparison, it is seen that the measured binding constants for the complexes of α-cyclodextrin with basic amino acids such as arginine and lysine are lower than those for most complexes of neutral amino acids. The chiral selectivity of α-cyclodextrin for L- and D-isomers of methionine, threonine, asparagine, and phenylalanine determined by ESI-MS revealed its application as a chiral selector.     

PHOTOCHEMICAL ADDITION OF AMINO ACIDS AND PEPTIDES TO DNA

Abstract— The quantum yields for photochemical addition of twenty of the amino acids commonly occurring in proteins to denatured calf thymus DNA have been determined in deoxygenated phosphate buffer at λ 254 nM and pH 7 using a fluorescamine assay technique. Fifteen were found to be reactive, with cysteine, lysine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine being the most reactive. Alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine and threonine were unreactive. Analogous quantum yields for a series of eighteen peptides of the form glycyl X (X being one of the commonly occurring amino acids) were also determined, along with the corresponding quantum yields for L-alanyl-L-alanine, L-alanyl-L-tryptophan, L-seryl-L-seryl-L-serine, L-threonyl-L-threonyl-L-threonine, and L-cystine- bis -glycine. All of the peptides were found to be reactive. The modified amino acids N^ε-methyllysine, N^ε, N^ε, N^ε-trimethyllysine and N^ε-acetyllysine, all occurring in minor amounts in the histone group of chromosomal proteins, were also found to be reactive as was N^α-acetyllysine. The quantum yields for photoaddition of a selected group of amino acids and peptides to denatured DNA and native DNA are compared. In some cases higher quantum yields for photoaddition to denatured DNA are observed while in other cases the reverse is true. The effect of oxygen on the quantum yields for photoaddition of selected peptides to DNA was examined. While for most systems studied the amount of reaction in aerated systems was less than in deoxygenated systems, in the case of glycyl-L-phenylalanine the reverse was true.     

Capillary gas chromatography of tert-butyldimethlysilylamino acids with PTV injection

The programmable temperature vaporizing injector (PTV) has been used to study the effects of injection temperature and initial heating period on the FID response factors of TBDMS derivatives of 17 protein amino acids. The relative response factors were calculated for injection temperatures of 50°C, 90°C, 160°C, 220°C, and 260°C with different initial heating periods (1 s, 5 s, and 10 s) and the results compared with the values obtained for the calculated response factors obtained under classical split injection conditions (300°C, continuous). Except for expected peak broadening effects, the initial heating period does not seem to have significative effects on relative peak areas. The response to the derivatives of alanine, glycine, α-aminobutyric acid, valine, proline, methionine, cysteine, phenylalanine, asparagine, and arginine was only slightly affected by increasing the injection temperature whereas the response factors for the derivatives of serine, threonine, glutamic acid, lysine, histidine, tyrosine, and tryptophan were strongly dependent upon initial injection temperatures, decreasing rapidly at temperatures above 160°C. The cold split-splitless injection is clearly advantageous over the classical hot injection techniques for the analysis of this type of aminoacid derivative.     

TLC separation and derivative spectrophotometry of some amino acids

Chromatographic systems for the separation of amino acid mixtures on RP-18 as a stationary phase have been elaborated. The best results were obtained using methanol-water (1:1, v/v; 1:3, v/v; 1:5, v/v) as a mobile phase. The following amino acids have been examined: asparagine, arginine monohydrochloride, cystine, cysteine chloride, glycine, histidine monohydrochloride, hydroxyproline, isoleucine, leucine, lysine monochloride, methionine, ornithine monohydrochloride, phenylalanine, proline, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, serine, valine. Histidine (as monohydrochloride) and methionine were determined by first-, second- and third-derivative spectrophotometry in a mixture of several amino acids.     

Papierchromatographische Trennung und Bestimmung von 22 Aminosäuren

Zusammenfassung Technische Einzelheiten zur Trennung und Bestimmung folgender Aminosäuren durch Zirkularchromatographie auf Papier werden angegeben: Cystin (und Cystein), Histidin, Lysin, Asparaginsäure (und Asparagin), Arginin, Serin, Glykokoll, Glutaminsäure (und Glutamin), Threonin, Hydroxyprolin, Alanin, Tyrosin, Prolin, Tryptophan (und Valin), Methionin, Phenylalanin, Leucin und Isoleucin. Die Genauigkeit der Bestimmung liegt ungefähr bei 5%.

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Summary Technical details are given for the separation and determination of the following amino acids by circular chromatography on paper: cystine (and cystein), histidine, lysine, aspartic acid (asparagine), arginine, serine, glycocoll, glutamic acid (and glutamine), threonine, hydroxypyroline, alanine, tyrosine, proline, tryptophane (and valine), methionine, phenylalanine, leucine and isoleucine. The precision of the determination is approximately 5%.

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Résumé On communique les détails techniques pour la séparation et le dosage par chromatographie circulaire sur papier des acides aminés suivants: cystine (et cystéine), histidine, lysine, acide aspartique (et asparagine), arginine, serine, glycocolle, acide glutamique (et glutamine), thréonine, hydroxyproline, alanine, tyrosine, proline, tryptophane (et valine), méthionine, phénylalanine, leucine et isoleucine. La précision du dosage s'élève à 5% environ.

     

An efficient synthesis of N-methyl amino acids by way of intermediate 5-oxazolidinones

N-Methyl amino acids occur in many natural products. Experimental strategies are presented for a unified approach to the synthesis of N-methyl derivatives through 5-oxazolidinones of the 20 common l-amino acids. The amino acids with reactive side chains that required protecting groups or devoted syntheses for side chain construction for N-methylation to proceed included serine, threonine, tyrosine, cysteine, methionine, tryptophan, asparagine, histidine, and arginine. The studies have provided improved methods for the preparation of N-methyl serine, threonine, and tyrosine. All 20 of the common l-amino acids are now available in suitable forms for solid or solution-phase peptide synthesis.     

Effects of the interaction between beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid N-methylamide and polynucleotides on singlet oxygen quantum yield and DNA oxidative damage

The complexation of beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid N-methylamide (betaCMAM) with the sodium salts of the nucleotides polyadenylic (Poly A), polycytidylic (Poly C), polyguanylic (Poly G), polythymidylic (Poly T) and polyuridylic (Poly U) acids, and with double stranded (dsDNA) and single stranded deoxyribonucleic acids (ssDNA) was studied at pH 4, 6 and 9. Predominant 1:1 complex formation is indicated from Job plots. Association constants were determined using the Benesi-Hildebrand equation. BetaCMAM-sensitized singlet oxygen quantum yields were determined at pH 4, 6 and 9, and the effects on this of adding oligonucleotides, dsDNA and ssDNA were studied at the three pH values. With dsDNA, the effect on betaCMAM triplet state formation was also determined through triplet-triplet transient absorption spectra. To evaluate possible oxidative damage of DNA following singlet oxygen betaCMAM photosensitization, we used thiobarbituric acid-reactivity assays and electrophoretic separation of DNA assays. The results showed no oxidative damage at the level of DNA degradation or strand break.     

Determination of D- and L-amino acids in mouse kidney by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A method for the enantiomeric analysis of amino acids of mammalian tissues is described. An excellent resolution of D- and L-enantiomers of common protein amino acids was achieved by employing a combination of thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. D-Enantiomers and L-enantiomers of glutamate, aspartate, glutamine, asparagine, serine, threonine, alanine, proline, tyrosine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and histidine, as well as glycine were derivatized with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-L-alanine amide. The amino acid diastereomers were separated by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Each amino acid diastereomer was then analysed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for the resolution of D- and L-enantiomers. Very sharp peaks were obtained using a conventional octadecylsilyl-bonded column, and the possibility of analysing these amino acids (except tyrosine and histidine) in subnanomole amounts was indicated. The method was used to demonstrate the presence of D-enantiomers of alanine, proline and serine in mouse kidney.     

Robust and straightforward chemo-enzymatic enantiopure dipeptide syntheses and diketopiperazines thereof

We have explored the scope of the synthetic route towards d-phenylglycyl diketopiperazines, involving a penicillin acylase catalysed formation of d-phenylglycyl dipeptides of l-amino acids with functional groups in the side chain. The synthesis of dipeptides from serine, threonine, glutamic acid, glutamine and methionine was successful. In contrast, aspartic acid, asparagine and cysteine only afforded trace amounts of dipeptides while no dipeptide was detected with arginine, lysine and tyrosine. Isolated dipeptide yields varied from 10% to 76%. The dipeptides were successfully converted into their corresponding enantiopure diketopiperazines by chemical esterification and cyclization under alkaline conditions, in 35–43% yield. In the case of glutamic acid, the procedure yielded the diketopiperazine with an esterified side chain. Remarkably with glutamine, the amide function in the side chain was transformed into an ester moiety, resulting in the same diketopiperazine as with glutamic acid.     

Classification of vegetable oils according to their botanical origin using amino acid profiles established by direct infusion mass spectrometry

Amino acid profiles, established by direct infusion mass spectrometry, have been used to classify vegetable oils according to their botanical origin. The proteins present in hazelnut, sunflower, corn, soybean, olive, avocado, peanut and grapeseed oils were precipitated with acetone, and the residue was hydrolyzed in acid medium, diluted in a hydrochloric acid/ethanol mixture, and infused into the mass spectrometer. The spectra of the hydrolyzed protein extracts showed [M+H]+ ions of the following amino acids: glycine, alanine, serine, proline, valine, threonine, cysteine, isoleucine + leucine, aspartic acid, lysine, glutamic acid, methionine, histidine, phenylalanine, arginine and tyrosine. These ions were used to construct linear discriminant analysis (LDA) models. The ratios of the ion signal intensities selected by pairs were used as predictors. With the sequential application of three LDA models, the eight botanical origin categories of the samples were well resolved.     

Determination of underivatized amino acid delta(13)C by liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry for nutritional studies: the effect of dietary non-essential amino acid profile on the isotopic signature of individual amino acids in fish

This study provides data for the effect of dietary non-essential amino acid composition on the delta(13)C values of individual amino acids in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using liquid chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (LC/IRMS). In this experiment, trout were reared either on a control diet or on three experimental diets, differing in the composition of non-essential/conditionally essential amino acids, for a period of 6 weeks. The control diet was a commercial trout starter feed with fish meal as the main protein source. The experimental diets contained no protein, only synthetic amino acids. Diet 1 resembled the composition of fish meal in both essential and non-essential amino acids, Diet 2 had all essential amino acids, but cysteine, glycine, proline and tyrosine were replaced by the corresponding amounts of their precursors, and in Diet 3 all non-essential amino acids were replaced by glutamate. LC/IRMS was used for the determination of delta(13)C values of individual amino acids from diets and tissues without derivatization. Diet affected the delta(13)C of individual amino acids in fish. For fish on Diets 1-3 amino acid delta(13)C values showed a similar trend: phenylalanine showed very little change from diet to body tissue. Arginine, lysine, tyrosine and proline showed strong depletion from diet to body tissue and glycine, alanine, aspartate and serine all showed variable but strong enrichment in (13)C. Improvements are necessary before all amino acid delta(13)C values can be determined; however, this study demonstrates that measuring amino acid isotopic signatures by LC/IRMS is a promising new technique for nutritional physiologists.     

Analysis of amino acids in human serum by isocratic reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

A simple, sensitive and reproducible isocratic high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed for the determination of amino acids in human serum. The method involves precipitation of the serum proteins with methanol followed by pre-column derivatization of amino acids with o-phthalaldehyde-2-mercaptoethanol or o-phthalaldehyde-sodium sulfite. HPLC separation of the derivatives was performed using an ODS column with an isocratic mobile phase system and electrochemical detection (+0.75 V). The response was linear over the range 5-300 microM for all amino acids. The method allows quantitative determination of glutamic acid, asparagine, serine, glutamine, histidine, taurine, alanine, arginine, methionine, isoleucine, ornithine, leucine, phenylalanine, lysine and tryptophan at concentrations as low as 0.5-5.0 pmol (signal-to-noise ratio=2). Using this method, the levels of amino acids in serum from healthy donors and patients with ischemic stroke were determined.     

The mass spectra of N-adamantoylpeptides

The N-adamantoyl derivatives of the esters of twenty-one di-peptides and eight tri-peptides containing the amino acids glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, proline, phenylalanine, glutamic acid, lysine, histidine, serine, threonine, methionine, S-benzylcysteine and tyrosine were prepared and their mass spectra determined. The spectra of all compounds were suitable for amino acid sequence determination. Mixtures containing N-adamantoyl dipeptide and tripeptide methyl esters were separated by thin-layer chromatography and the components identified by high resolution mass spectrometry. The mass spectrometric features of N-adamantoyl peptide esters are discussed and compared with those of other N-acyl peptide derivatives.     

Comprehensive Evaluation of Amino Acids and Polyphenols in 69 Varieties of Green Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L.) Based on Multivariate Statistical Analysis

The biological activities of the primary metabolites and secondary metabolites of 69 green cabbage varieties were tested. The LC-MS detection method was used to determine the content of 19 free amino acids (lysine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, methionine, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, arginine, asparagine, glycine, proline, tyrosine, glutamine, alanine, aspartic acid, serine, and glutamate). The content of 10 polyphenols (chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, 4-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, gentisic acid, cymarin, erucic acid, benzoic acid, rutin, and kaempferol) was determined by the HPLC detection method. Considering the complexity of the data obtained, variance analysis, diversity analysis, correlation analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to process and correlate amino acid or polyphenol data, respectively. The results showed that there were significant differences between the different amino acids and polyphenols of the 69 cabbage varieties. The most abundant amino acids and polyphenols were Glu and rutin, respectively. Both amino acids and polyphenols had a high genetic diversity, and multiple groups of significant or extremely significant correlations. The 69 cabbage varieties were divided into two groups, according to 19 amino acid indexes, by PCA. Among them, seven varieties with high amino acid content all fell into the fourth quadrant. The HCA of amino acids also supports this view. Based on 10 polyphenols, the 69 cabbage varieties were divided into two groups by HCA. Based on 29 indexes of amino acids and polyphenols, 69 cabbage varieties were evaluated and ranked by PCA. Therefore, in this study, cabbage varieties were classified in accordance with the level of amino acids and polyphenols, which provided a theoretical basis for the genetic improvement of nutritional quality in cabbage.     

Determination of plasma amino acids by gas chromatography

A complete methodology, incorporating a novel clean-up technique, for quantitative determination of amino acids in plasma by gas chromatography is described. Glucose, a component causing major analytical interference, is removed by an enzymic reaction included in the pre-chromatographic clean-up. The procedure for derivatisation of amino acid standards is shown to be reproducible down to a level of 2.5 micrograms for each amino acid, relative standard deviations for all amino acids except arginine and histidine being 3% or lower. For the entire procedure applied to plasma, relative standard deviations for most amino acids are below 5% with recoveries ranging from 90 to 120%. Normal values, obtained using eighteen plasma samples, are in reasonable agreement with published data. Plasma amino acid values were determined simultaneously by gas chromatographic and ion-exchange chromatographic techniques. Statistical evaluation shows there to be no significant difference between corresponding values for eleven amino acids. Values for tyrosine, histidine and particularly phenylalanine show significant differences (p less than 0.001).     

Esterification of amino acids to n-butyl and isobutyl esters in aqueous solutions for their gas chromatographic analysis

Summary Amino acids have been esterified with n-butanol and isobutanol in the presence of perchloric acid. It has been established that in the concentration range of [H₂O]/[n-BuOH]=0.10–0.40 esterification can be utilized for the determination of alanine, glycine, valine, leucine, proline, methionine, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, tyrosine, glutamic acid, lysine, arginine, histidine and cystine. In the case of [H₂O]/[i-BuOH] =0.05–0.20 the esterification yield decreases from 100% to 70%, in proportion to the water content.     

In vitro determination of the release kinetics of peptides and free amino acids during the digestion of food proteins

The kinetics of peptide release during in vitro digestion of 4 protein sources (casein, cod protein, soy protein, and gluten) were investigated. Samples were sequentially hydrolyzed with pepsin (30 min) and pancreatin (2, 4, or 6 h) in a dialysis cell with continuous removal of digestion products. Nondialyzed digests were fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography and ultrafiltration. Animal proteins were digested at a greater rate than plant proteins. Target amino acids of specific enzymes appeared more rapidly in the dialyzed fractions when compared to other amino acids. Throughout the hydrolysis, nondialyzed digests contained a higher proportion of peptide mixtures with basic-neutral properties. Except for gluten, peptide fractions with molecular weights that exceeded 10 kDa (basic-neutral, BN > 10) were rapidly hydrolyzed during the first 2 h of pancreatin digestion. The kinetics of release and the composition of peptide fractions were different when the protein sources were compared. The analysis of amino acids revealed that threonine and proline proportions were relatively high in BN > 10 and in peptide fractions with molecular weight between 10-1 kDa (BN 10-1), while tyrosine, phenylalanine, lysine, and arginine predominated in the low molecular weight (<1 kDa) fractions. More resistant peptides were generally rich in proline and glutamic acid. The role of in vitro digestion assays in dietary protein quality evaluation is discussed.