A method for the identification and quantitative investigation of denatured proteins in mixtures based on computer comparison of amino-acid patterns

Abstract

A procedure is described in which stepwise regression is adapted to permit comparison of the amino-acid pattern from a composite sample with those of simple substances arranged in an easily accessible data bank. The computer program automatically selects from the bank those proteins whose amino-acid patterns best correspond to that of the sample, and calculates the proportion of the proteins contained in the mixture. The procedure is applicable to food analytical problems that involve the identification and determination of proteins in mixtures, and also to situations in which the properties of the proteins have been altered by denaturation or enzymatic degradation. The determination is limited to 3-4 proteins in the mixture.