Interaction of amino acids with silver(I) ions.

The reactivity of silver(I) ions towards twenty amino acids has been studied in aqueous unbuffered solutions using an ion-selective electrode as a highly sensitive monitor. Contrary to general belief, silver ions are not completely specific for cysteine, but also react with lysine, arginine, methionine and, to a minor extent, cystine. Nevertheless the interaction with all of these species except cysteine is too weak to affect significantly the determination of thiol in proteins by the customary argentometric titration method. The possible origin of errors arising in such titrations is discussed.