Practical Protein Chemistry - A. Darbre 1989

Preface

Dedicated to Hazel and Philippe

The idea of creating this book grew out of my own laborious and at times fruitless searches for literature on analytical Protein Chemistry. While well-known serial publications on the subject abound with practical details—such as Methods in Enzymology and Methods of Biochemical Analysis—discussions with colleagues revealed a clear need to synthesize all currently available information into a single, concise volume. We did not aim to cover absolutely every chemical method for studying Proteins; for instance, solution-phase or solid-phase Peptide Synthesis according to Merrifield, as well as methods of chemical modification, are already covered in sufficient detail elsewhere. Readers may therefore find that their favorite method has been omitted. The editor sincerely regrets any such omissions, but emphasizes that the authors deliberately restricted themselves to describing the most prominent and well-established techniques in practice. The inclusion of the final three chapters is intended to serve the broader interests of researchers working in this field.

The tremendous strides made in nucleotide sequencing over a remarkably short period might seem to suggest that protein sequencing is becoming a thing of the past, if not entirely obsolete. Indeed, this very question was raised in a recent Nature article entitled “The Decline and Fall of Protein Chemistry?” [8]. However, the Discovery of the mosaic Organization of Eukaryotic DNA, comprising “exons” and “introns” [3], necessitated the analysis of corresponding Amino acid sequences. Once protein structures were determined, The Role of exon shuffling in Introduction/18.html">Protein Evolution became strikingly apparent [2]. Furthermore, data regarding post-translational modification and signal pre- and pro-peptide sequences demonstrate that protein sequencing continues to evolve, requiring a diverse array of approaches and methods to solve these problems. While biotechnology deals with recombinant DNA techniques, the ultimate goal of all genetic manipulations is the creation of specific PROTEINS AND Peptides, which must ultimately be identified by protein chemists.

The Study of physiologically active peptides, Antibiotics, Enzymes, structural proteins, receptor interactions (such as hormone-protein and protein-protein systems), evolutionary relationships, and the recently discovered Primary Structure Homology between certain oncogenes and normal proteins opens up inspiring new horizons for researchers. Consequently, specialists from A wide variety of biological disciplines are increasingly drawn to working with proteins. So much literature has been published on the methodology of protein chemistry that a beginner may well feel overwhelmed and wonder, “Where do I begin?”

All the contributors to this book are actively engaged in various areas of protein chemistry. They have sought to properly orient the reader by providing a brief introduction to each topic alongside practical experimental details that, in their own experience, yield reliable and satisfactory results. Undoubtedly, many time-tested and proven methods are included—such as exhaustive Protein Hydrolysis in 6 M HCl or the Lowry colorimetric protein assay [7]—alongside newer techniques that offer distinct advantages in certain Applications.

During the preparation of this book, we received the tragic news of the death of one of our co-authors, Dr. E. Gross (1928–1981). We all owe a great debt to him for his invaluable contributions to protein chemistry. His co-author, A. Fontana, has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of such a talented scientist and friend. An article detailing E. Gross's scientific career was published by C. Birr [1]. We were equally devastated by the passing of S. Moore, who also made a major personal contribution to this publication. Reminiscences of working with S. Moore [4] and tribute articles dedicated to his memory can be found in a special issue of Analytical Biochemistry [6]; additionally, one of the volumes of Methods in Enzymology [5] is dedicated to the memory of S. Moore and W. H. Stein.

In Conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to all the authors for their tremendous hard work. I am deeply indebted to M. Waterfield for his invaluable advice, and I must especially acknowledge the truly immense amount of time he devoted to this project. Special thanks are also due to the enthusiastic support of

P. Williams of Heyden Press and his assistance in preparing the book for publication.

King's College London, 1985

A. Darbre