THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE OF THE TUBERCULIN ACTIVE PEPTIDE

Abstract
From the filtrate of the culture medium of human tubercle bacilli, strain Kiyose, No. 2, a basic tuberculin-active protein was isolated, and analyzed by paper electrophoresis (pH 6.8), performic acid oxidation, paper chromatography with 0.3% NH3-phenol or butanol-acetic acid-water (4:1:5) mixtures. This active protein consists of 1 inactive acidic peptide (amino acid sequence: glycyl-threonyl-lysyl-arginyl) and 2 active peptides, the amino acid sequence of which are partially determined as follows: basic peptide, beta-alanyl-cysteinyl (or cystyl)-glutamyl-glycyl-seryl-alanyl-valyl-alpha-amino- isobutyric acid[long dash][long dash][long dash]; neutral peptide, beta-alanyl-cysteinyl- glutamyl-glycyl.