The peptide pattern obtained during degradation of TN-C component of troponin by trypsin markedly depends on the concentration of calcium ions. In the presence of calcium higher than 0.1 mM a peptide with a mass of about 16 000 daltons is formed, followed by its splitting into two peptides (8500 and 7500 daltons), which accumulate during further digestion. When calcium is sequestred by EGTA the degradation of TN-C is much faster. The first products of digestion are the 11 000 and 7500 dalton peptides. The former one is degraded to 9700 dalton peptide and, subsequently, both peptides are split to small fragments. In the presence of calcium only three -NH2 groups per molecule of TN-C appear during digestion, whereas in its absence almost all peptide bonds available for trypsin are cleaved. The fragments of TN-C obtained in the presence of calcium are still able to interact with TN-I component as judged by disc-electrophoresis performed in the presence of calcium. During digestion in the presence of calcium only a slight decrease of tyrosyl intrinsic fluorescence occurs and the further decrease after removal of calcium bound to TN-C is fully reversible. Similarly, the content of alpha-helix decreases only slowly during digestion in the presence of calcium. All the results suggest that calcium stabilizes the structure of TN-C molecule, so that trypsin in the presence of calcium releases one small peptide from N-terminal not involved in the first "EF-hand" and the other from the region between pairs 1-2 and 3-4 of "EF-hands" in the nomenclature of Kretsinger (see Kretsinger and Barry [16]). The obtained fragments, containing almost exclusively pairs of "EF-hands", restore most of the properties of original TN-C molecule.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

Estimation of available methionine and cysteine in proteins of food products by in vivo and in vitro methods.

1. The available methionine and cysteine of proteins were determined by chemical methods after preliminary enzymic hydrolysis. 2. The values for the available methionine and cysteine contents of pure proteins (casein and bovine serum albumin) estimated by chemical methods were similar to those for the total content determined by the method of Moore, Spackman & Stein (1958). 3. Reductions of 15 and 11% respectively, when compared with unprocessed samples, were found in the available methionine contents of sweetened and unsweetened, condensed milks; of roller-dried milk and whey powders, and of mackerel sterilized at 126 degrees, the reductions were 22, 14 and 19% respectively. 4. The available cysteine content of sweetened, condensed milk was reduced by about 32%, whereas for mackerel sterilized at 115 and 126 degrees it was reduced by 64 and 75% respectively. 5. The contents of total sulphur amino acids for these food products did not differ from those for the unprocessed samples. 6. Values obtained for available S amino acid contents by rat bioassay confirmed the results of the in vitro estimations.

Animals↗

PubMed1975

Quantitative determination of the content of available methionine and cysteine in food proteins.

The content of available sulphur amino acids in food proteins has been determined by the chemical methods after preliminary digestion of proteins with pancreatin. The values for the available methionine and cysteine contents of pure protein (casein, bovine serum albumin) and protein of food (fresh milk, whey, mackerel, beef, pork, wheat flour) estimated by the specific chemical methods were similar to those for the total content determined by the method of Moore et al. (6). Differences between total and available methionine and cysteine contents of heated casein were found.

Animals↗