Tryptic phosphopeptides from whole casein. I. Preparation and analysis by fast protein liquid chromatography

Tryptic phosphopeptides were obtained from whole bovine casein by chromatography on the anion exchange resin QAE-Sephadex A 25. Salt gradient elution of the column allowed separation of non-phosphorylated peptides from phosphorylated species. The preparations obtained contained at least seven distinct phosphopeptides of which the following casein fragments were identified: αs1(43-58):2P, αs1(59-79): 5P, αs2(46-70): 4P, β(1-28): 4P, β(2-28): 4P, and β(33-48): 1P. Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) on Mono Q HR 5/5 resin showed that the phosphopeptides were eluted in the same order as from the QAE-Sephadex resin. However, on the analytical column HR 5/5 the fragments αs1(59-79): 5P and β(2-28): 4P, having the same net charge under the conditions of chromatography, co-eluted, whereas they were at least partly separated on the preparative column HR 16/10. Following enzymic dephosphorylation, the peptides eluted at lower salt strength in the gradient. FPLC on Mono Q resin thus permitted dephosphorylation to be monitored and intermediates between the parent species and the fully dephosphorylated peptide to be identifie