Simple peptides. III. Syntheses and properties of taurine-oligopeptides containing an acidic .ALPHA.-amino acid.

Abstract
Although taurine-dipeptides containing an acidic .alpha.-amino acid (Glu or Asp) have been proposed to exist in the central nervous system, it is not yet clear how the acidic amino acid is linked with taurine in the peptides. This study aimed to analyze the mode of linkage of such peptide through analysis of their spectral data, such as proton nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectra. Four pairs of taurine-oligopeptides (1-8) containing one acidic .alpha.-amino acid were examined, and spattered ion mass spectrometry B/E linked scan mass spectrometry was proved to be most useful to distinguish each pair of isomers. Further, immunochemical examination indicated that all the oligopeptides (1-8) synthesized by the conventional coupling method were highly cross-reactive with antisera against taurine and against .gamma.Glu-Tau.