Enzymatic synthesis of delta sleep-inducing peptide

The delta sleep-inducing peptide was assembled enzymatically from three tripeptide fragments. All the peptide bonds were prepared by either papain- or alpha-chymotrypsin-mediated synthesis. Secondary hydrolysis was suppressed by introducing N alpha-protected amino acid or peptide esters as carboxyl components and using an alkaline pH. The protected nonapeptide was oxidized with ferric chloride to deprotect the C-terminal phenylhydrazide and then hydrogenated. The homogeneous peptide was obtained by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Comparison of enzymatic and chemical preparations showed no obvious differences.