Coupling Methods and Strategies in Solid-Phase Sequencing

Abstract

The success of solid-phase sequencing depends on the availability of reliable procedures for immobilizing peptides and proteins. Once the peptide is attached to an insoluble support, sequencing generally proceeds without problems, provided the peptide has an unblocked α-amino group. Since the introduction of the solid-phase Edman degradation in 1966 (244), considerable effort has gone into the search for a completely general procedure for immobilizing peptides. The search has thus far been unsuccessful, but in the process, several attachment methods that take advantage of the reactivity of specific amino acids have been discovered. This multiplicity of immobilization procedures, rather than limiting the utility of the solid-phase Edman degradation, has given it a versatility that was unanticipated.