Rapid method for determining desmosine, isodesmosine, 5-hydroxylysine, tryptophan, lysinoalanine and the amino sugars in proteins and tissues.

A rapid and sensitive chromatographic method is described for determining desmosine, isodesmosine, 5-hydroxylysine, tryptophan, lysinoalanine, glucosamine and galactosamine at picomole levels in protein and tissue hydrolysates. This method uses either an automated amino acid analyser with a 17.5 X 0.28 cm microcolumn packed with 6.0 +/- 0.5 micron spherical resin, thermostated at 52 degrees C, one buffer system (0.21 M sodium citrate, pH 5.125) and 3-nitrotyrosine as the internal standard, or conventional instruments using the same system but with larger diameter columns and resins (11.0 +/- 1.0 micron). This method should be especially valuable for determining collagen and elastin in tissue hydrolysates from the amounts of 5-hydroxylysine, and desmosine or isodesmosine present, respectively, and for studying protein hydroxylation, glycosylation, cross-linking formation, and the turnover rates of collagen and elastin in normal and diseased tissues.