The hydrazinolysis of insulin, lysozyme, wool proteins and wool

Abstract

The hydrazine method was used to determine the C-terminal amino acids of insulin, lysozyme, wool proteins and wool. The C-terminal amino acids, alanine from insulin and leucine from lysozyme, are obtainable in 60% yield, together with small amounts of the non-C-terminal amino acids, glycine, serine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid. The non-C-terminal amino acids appear to be produced during hydrazinolysis by a process which is independent of the amount of water in the hydrazine, at least up to 5%. The total amount of the C-terminal amino acids, glycine, serine, threonine, alanine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid, in wool and the wool proteins studied is about 10[mu] moles/g.