Estimation of state and amount of phenylalanine residues in proteins by second derivative spectrophotometry.

The second derivative absorption spectra of serum albumin, insulin, ribonuclease and lysozyme were measured under various conditions to determine the state and amount of their phenylalanine residues. The second derivative spectra of these proteins were very similar to that of phenylalanine in the region between 245 and 270 nm where tryptophan and tyrosine residues caused no appreciable interference. Denaturation of proteins with urea or guanidine hydrochloride caused decrease in the intensity of the second derivative spectra, but scarcely affected the positions of peaks and troughs. The amounts of phenylalanine residues in proteins calculated from a second derivative spectra of denatured proteins coincided well with those reported in the literature. The states of the phenylalanine residues in the proteins could be deduced from the change in optical intensity on denaturation.