Edman degradation sequence analysis of resin-bound peptides synthesized by 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chemistry

The efficacy of Edman degradation sequence analysis for evaluating the synthetic efficiency of peptide-resin assembly by 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) solid-phase methodology has been studied. Prior researchers have described the use of solid-phase "preview" sequence analysis for peptides synthesized by tertiary-butyloxycarbonyl (Boc) chemistry, where benzyl-based side-chain protecting groups and peptide-resin linkers are stable to the conditions of Edman chemistry. We have successfully sequenced a variety of resin-bound peptides synthesized by Fmoc chemistry, where tertiary-butyl-based side-chain protecting groups and peptide-resin linkers are labile to the conditions of Edman chemistry. Crude peptides are liberated from trifluoroacetic acid-labile linkers during the first cycle of Edman degradation and subsequently "embedded" in membranes. For peptides up to 20 residues, embedded sequencing repetitive yields were comparable to those of solid-phase sequencing. Preview sequencing of resin-bound Fmoc-synthesized peptides proved to be advantageous compared to other analytical methods, in that synthetic failures were detected and quantitated at the point of occurrence, regardless of whether incomplete Fmoc deprotection or incomplete coupling was responsible, and without interference from by-products formed during peptide-resin cleavage. Quantitative ninhydrin analysis, which previously has been found to give false positive results due to removal of the Fmoc group by a combination of reagents and high temperature, gave false negative results in this study, most probably due to incomplete removal of the Fmoc group prior to coupling. Quantitative sequence analysis results were supported by high-performance liquid chromatographic, amino acid and electrospray mass spectrometric analyses of the crude and purified peptides.