Isolation of Glutamyltaurine from Bovine Brains and Proof of Its γ‐Linkage by the B/E Linked Scan SIMS Technique

Abstract

We isolated a glutamyltaurine from bovine brains and determined its structure as gamma-glutamyltaurine (gamma-Glu-Tau; glutaurine) by use of a new mass spectrometric technique [B/E linked scan sputtered ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)], which we have recently shown to be useful for distinguishing the gamma- from the alpha-isomer of glutamyl-dipeptides. Neither the alpha-isomer of glutamyltaurine nor any aspartyltaurines could be detected in bovine brain.

γ‐Glutamylaminotransferase and Transglutaminase in Subcellular Fractions of Rat Cortex and in Cultured Astrocytes

“…The lack of increase on adding detergents probably precludes a role in vesicle uptake too. Many of the carboxy-terminal amino acids and amines are transmitter candidates, such as glutamate and glycine (Sano et al, 1966;Reichelt, 1970), aspartate (Cheung and Lim, 1979), histamine (Weinreich, 1979), monoamines (Tsuji et al, 1977), and taurine (Marnela et al, 1985;Nakamura et al, 1990). Also, the polyamines that form y-amino compounds (Nakajima et al, 1976) are involved in neuromodulation.…”