Peptide Sequence Detection: Exploring In-Depth Techniques for Amino Acid Arrangement

Polypeptides are formed by linking amino acids through peptide bonds, and peptide sequence detection refers to determining the specific order of amino acids in a polypeptide or protein. This information is crucial for understanding the function, structure, and interactions of polypeptides with other molecules.

I. Main Techniques:

1. Edman Degradation:

This is a classic sequencing method achieved by sequentially removing amino acid residues from the N-terminus of a polypeptide. It is particularly useful for short peptides, but its length is limited, usually not exceeding 50-60 amino acids.

2. Mass Spectrometry:

Mass spectrometry has become the preferred technique for modern peptide sequence detection. It involves cutting polypeptides into small fragments and then determining the mass and sequence of these fragments. High-resolution mass spectrometers can quickly and accurately identify the sequences of long-chain polypeptides and proteins.

3. DNA Sequencing:

Considering that proteins are encoded by genes, directly determining the DNA sequence of the corresponding gene is also a method to acquire peptide sequences.

Figure 1

II. Application Fields:

1. Structural Biology:

Determining the sequence of peptides is the first step in predicting their three-dimensional structure.

2. Functional Biology:

By comparing with peptides or proteins of known function, it may be possible to infer the function of unknown peptides.

3. Drug Discovery:

Many drug targets are proteins. Determining their amino acid sequences helps in designing small molecules that bind to them.

4. Disease Diagnosis and Research:

Some diseases are associated with mutations in proteins or peptides. Identifying these mutations aids in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

5. Evolutionary Biology:

By comparing sequences of similar peptides across different species, their evolutionary relationships can be inferred.

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