Edman degradation

Definition

Edman Degradation is a method used in organic chemistry for sequencing amino acids in a peptide by selectively and sequentially removing one residue at a time from the amino end of the peptide. This process utilizes phenyl isothiocyanate in an alkaline environment to label and cleave the terminal amino acid, which can then be identified.

Related terms

Peptide bond:

A covalent chemical bond linking two consecutive amino acid monomers along a peptide or protein chain.

Amino Acid Sequence:

The order in which amino acid residues, connected by peptide bonds, are arranged in a peptide or protein.

Phenyl Isothiocyanate:

A reagent used in the Edman degradation process to label the N-terminal amino acid of peptides for identification