RAPID SCREENING OF PEPTIDES FOR HEAVY-METAL BINDING

A simple method that allows testing and characterisation of cadmium bi nding motifs by large set of immobilized peptides was developed. Hepta - and octapeptides containing cysteine and histidine residues were syn thesized on cotton carrier. They were tested for cadmium binding. pH v alues of half metal dissociation were measured. Test for Cd binding wa s based on its precipitation with ferrous dipyridyl iodide. Subsequent dissolving of precipitate provided semiquantitative data on relative amount of Cd bound. Observed data for particular peptides corresponded with prediction.