[Digestion of Luliberine analogues containing D-alanine residue by human gastric juice].

The digestion of surphagone and other luliberine analogues containing residues of D-amino acids by human gastric juice was studied. By means of chromatography and mass spectrometry, these peptides were shown to undergo hydrolysis of the bond formed by D-Ala at the P-1 position, and this hydrolysis was shown to be catalyzed by gastricsin rather than pepsin A. Gastricsin was assumed to be a highly specific protease. The results are in a good agreement with the concept of conformational specificity of proteases towards the natural oligopeptides.