Proteins acid hydrolysis

With respect to the hydrolysis step, it can be accomplished by acid, by enzymatic, or by direct microbial attack. Microbial hydrolysis results primarily in the production of cellular biomass or single-cell protein. Acid hydrolysis, while simple and direct, results in a sugar syrup with considerable contamination from the side reaction products. Enzymatic hydrolysis is usually the cleanest hydrolysis process. Unfortunately, it is the most costly of the three to operate. 

Pentosidine is determined by HPLC with spectrofluorimetric detection (excitation and emission wavelengths of 335 and 385 nm, respectively) (S14), although immunochemical and ELISA assays for determination of various protein oxidative modification products have become increasingly popular (08). Protein-aldehyde adducts can be estimated using adduct-specific antibodies (U2, Wl). Another approach requires stabilization of adducts, producing derivatives resistant to conditions used in protein acid hydrolysis and quantification of hydrolysis products by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (R7). 

Partial hydrolysis of proteins using acid, alkali or enzymes is commonly employed to improve functionality and usefulness of novel proteins. Acid hydrolysis is the most common method for preparing hydrolysates of soy, zein, casein, yeast and gluten. Hydrolysates are used in formulated foods, soups, sauces, gravies, canned meats, and beverages as flavorants and thickeners (2,3,6). Alkaline treatments have been employed to solubilize and facilitate protein extraction from soy, single cells, and leaves. 

The above method, contrary to the methods of estimation of amino acids based on copper complexes, is selective. A threefold excess of several common amino acids (including histamine) does not interfere. The method thus enables free histidine to be determined in protein hydrolysates, provided that the histidine concentration is sufficiently high. Tryptophane deforms the polaro-graphic waves when present in an amount corresponding to half that of histidine (above 1 mg/10 ml.). Mercaptoamino acids also interfere, but most of the types of compounds are destroyed during the protein acidic hydrolysis. Glycine affects the end-point if present in amounts larger than 10 mg/10 ml. of the sample. 

Gruen and Nicholes (158) examined in detail the relative effectiveness of various additives in the 6N HCl hydrolysis of proteins. Acid hydrolysis was carried out in the presence of a reducing agent or a substituted indole compound such as tryptamine or 3-indole propionic acid, which lack the carboxyl or amino function, respectively, of tryptophan. The rationale was that these molecules would be degraded in preference to tryptophan. 

The sequence of each different peptide or protein is important for understanding the activity of peptides and proteins and for enabling their independent synthesis, since the natural ones may be difficult to obtain in small quantities. To obtain the sequence, the numbers of each type of amino acid are determined by breaking down the protein into its individual amino acids using concentrated acid (hydrolysis). For example, hydrolysis of the tetrapeptide shown in Figure 45.3 would give one unit of glycine, two units of alanine, and one unit of phenylalanine. Of course, information as to which amino acid was linked to which others is lost. 

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein. To modify functional properties, vegetable proteins such as those derived from soybean and other oil seeds can be hydrolyzed by acids or enzymes to yield hydrolyzed vegetable proteins (HVP). Hydrolysis of peptide bonds by acids or proteolytic enzymes yields lower molecular weight products useful as food flavorings. However, the protein functionaHties of these hydrolysates may be reduced over those of untreated protein. 

Hydroxylated amino acids (eg, 4-hydroxyproline, 5-hydroxylysine) and A/-methylated amino acids (eg, /V-methylhistidine) are obtained by the acid hydrolysis of proteins. y-Carboxyglutamic acid occurs as a component of some sections of protein molecules it decarboxylates spontaneously to L-glutamate at low pH. These examples are formed upon the nontranslational modification of protein and are often called secondary protein amino acids... 

Protein Hydrolysis. Acid hydrolysis of protein by 6 MHQ in a sealed tube is generally used (110°C, 24-h). During hydrolysis, slight decomposition takes place in serine (ca 10%) and threonine (ca 5%). Cystine and tryptophan in protein cannot be deterruined by this method because of complete decomposition. 

For deterrnination of tryptophan, 4 M methanesulfonic acid hydrolysis is employed (18). For cystine, the protein is reduced with 2-mercaptoethanol, the resultant cysteine residue is carboxymethylated with iodoacetic acid, and then the protein sample is hydroly2ed. Also, a one-pot method with mercaptoethanesulfonic acid has been developed for tryptophan and cystine (19). 

Protein Components. The simplest picture of the proteinaceous components is one of polypeptides, which are composed of a-amino acid residues. It is estimated that wool contains about 170 different types of polypeptides varying in molecular mass from below 10,000 to greater than 50,000 (34). Complete acid hydrolysis of wool yields 18 amino acids, the relative amounts of which vary considerably from one wool to another. Typical figures for two different samples of wool are given in Table 7. 

The enol-sulfate form (I), which is the precursor of the luciferin in the bioluminescence system of the sea pansy Renilla (Hori et al., 1972), can be readily converted into coelenterazine by acid hydrolysis. The enol-sulfate (I), dehydrocoeienterazine (D) and the coelenterazine bound by the coelenterazine-binding proteins are important storage forms for preserving unstable coelenterazine in the bodies of luminous organisms. The disulfate form of coelenterazine (not shown in Fig. 5.5) is the luciferin in the firefly squid Watasenia (Section 6.3.1). An enol-ether form of coelenterazine bound with glucopyra-nosiduronic acid has been found in the liver of the myctophid fish Diapbus elucens (Inoue et al., 1987). 

In addition, our results suggest that removal of hpids improves both yield characteristics and elemental characteristics. Recent work by Liden et al. (1995) suggests that the methanol-chloroform method used here is more effective than other methods, such as treatment with NaOH solution, or the maintenance of an acidic environment and ultrafiltration of products during collagen extraction. It is speculated that the presence of hpids in archaeological bone samples may interfere with the acid hydrolysis of protein during... 

Fraction Fla was chosen for structural purposes due to its better solubility in water and the absence of Xyl. In order to remove noncovalently associated protein, fraction Flap was submitted to sequential shaking cycles with a mixture of chloroform-buthanol, as indicated by Sevag and described by Staub [17]. The fraction was also treated with trichloroacetic acid. In both procedures, coprecipitation of carbohydrate and protein was observed, suggesting strong linkages and a more complex structure. Fla as was submitted to mild acid hydrolysis yielding Flas and Flap (Table VI). 

As noted above, the presence of Met(O) in proteins would go undetected after acid hydrolysis and subsequent amino acid analysis. Thus, since this method of hydrolysis is most commonly used, it is impossible to ascertain from the literature the abundance of Met(O) residues normally present in proteins. However, a number of studies have reported the presence of Met(O) residues in various proteins using one of the appropriate procedures described above. It has been found that Met(O) residues comprise 30% of the total Met in proteins isolated from bovine glomerular basement membranes and anterior lens . Other investigators have reported that the levels of Met(O) in proteins of the trabecular meshwork of human eyes increased with the age of the donor . The amount of Met(O) detected ranged from 15% (10 years old) to 55% (79 years old) of the total methionine content found in the tissue samples. Other studies have shown that in certain species of clams the proteins of the hinge ligament contain only Met(0) residues and no Met . In addition, it has also been reported that as much as 18% of the Met residues in pea seed proteins is in the form of Met(O) . Lastly, Met(O) residues have been found in... 

Yamada, H., Moriya, H., and Tsugita, A., Development of an acid hydrolysis method with high recoveries of tryptophan and cysteine for microquantities of protein, Anal. Biochem., 198, 1, 1991. 

In the case of paint samples where lipids are often admixed with proteinaceous binders, in some cases acidic hydrolysis is proposed to simultaneously hydrolyse proteins and triglycerides in the same step [35,36], although in acidic conditions the hydrolysis of triglycerides is not quantitative. 

The amidine bond is quite stable at acid pH however, it is susceptible to hydrolysis and cleavage at alkaline pH. Derivatized proteins may be assayed by amino acid analysis after acid hydrolysis without loss of imidate modifications. 

The partially methylated monosaccharides obtained on depolymerization of the permethylated sample are preferably analyzed as acetates by g.l.c.-m.s., as shown by Bjomdal and coworkers.41,42 The neutral sugars and the amino sugars obtained in acetolysis-acid hydrolysis are reduced, and acetylated for the analysis, and the amino-hexitol and the neuraminic acid residues are acetylated after methanolysis. Identification with the aid of g.l.c.-m.s. has been described for all of the common components of protein- and lipid-linked glycans and oligosaccharides from animal cells, namely, the neutral sugars,41-43 hexitols,44 hexosamines,29,43,45,46 aminohexitols,31,32 and neuraminic acids.33,34,47... 

Smirnova et al. [5] have described a simple non-enzymatic method of quantitative determination of adenosine triphosphate in activated sludge from aeration tanks. Extraction of the nucleotides in boiling distilled water was followed by removal of the protein impurities by acidification. Barium salts of di- and triphosphates of the nucleotides were precipitated and the precipitate was washed and dissolved in acid to convert the barium salts to sodium salts. The quantity of adenosine triphosphate was determined quantitatively by inorganic phosphorus in the liquid over the precipitate before and after acid hydrolysis, and by ultraviolet absorption spectra. The method was tested in activated sludge from operational sewage works. There was good agreement between the adenosine triphosphate content determined spectrophotometrically and by phosphorus, despite the presence of small quantities of secondary impurities. 

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