Amino Acids and Peptides: XXVII: Synthesis of Phytochelatin-Related Peptides and Examination of Their Heavy Metal-Binding Properties

Abstract

Phytochelatin (PC)-related peptides were prepared by a conventional solution method and their heavy metal-binding properties were examined. Different from the Cu2+ and Cu +-binding properties of metallothionein (MT)-related peptides, the Cu2+ and Cu+-binding properties of PC-related peptides were fairly dependent on structure. It is of interest that y-Glu-Cys-Gly (glutathione) exhibited quite different Cu2+ and Cu+-binding properties from those of other PC-related peptides and its binding abilities were comparable to those of MT-related peptides. The Cd2+-binding properties of glutathione were similar to those of Cys, and the Cd2+-binding abilities of PC-related peptides increased in proportion to the increase of y-Glu-Cys peptide unit. © 1990, The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan. All rights reserved.