Hydrolysis of Irradiated Ovalbumin by Pepsin

Solid ovalbumin has been irradiated at three doses, 6.5, 25, and 40 megarads, under high vacuum. The native and irradiated samples have been hydrolyzed at pH 1.4 by pepsin, after centrifugation of the aggregates, if necessary. The number of bonds broken per ovalbumin molecule has been estimated by comparing the rate of protein destruction with the rate of formation of NH(2) groups. Both rates increase very much with the dose, but the number of bonds broken decreases. Sedimentation measurements show a strong shape modification of the soluble fraction in the case of the 25 and 40 megarad samples. The increase in asymmetry is bound to the increase in the rate of attack on gamma-irradiated ovalbumin by pepsin. Infrared spectra of the aggregates show small difference from those of the native samples.