"Methods in Protein Sequence Analysis - 1988" - contains selected contributions on modern protein- analytical techniques as presented by speakers at the Seventh International Conference on "Methods in Protein Sequence Analysis", held from July 3rd to July 8th, 1988 in Berlin. The book contains information on new methodologies for sensitive amino acid analysis, N- and C-terminal sequence analysis, and protein and peptide purification. In addition recent mass spectrometric approaches are described, as an alter native technique to the common stepwise degradative sequence analysis of polypeptides by the Edman method. The book presents new possibilities in the design of sequencers and sophisticated equipment for the structural analysis of peptides and proteins. It describes practical approaches for the investigation of protein domains and protein complexes, and contains review chapters on the crystallization of cell organelles as well as on recent theoretical aspects of protein folding mechanisms. The nature of protein folding is not yet understood, but further advances in this area would greatly enhance our present knowledge of protein structure and function. Further, the book gives examples of the application of gene technology to protein characterization and to the design of new proteins. This enables new studies on the structure and function of proteins to be made, and opens up efficient approaches to the design of drugs.

1 A Critical Evaluation of Sensitive Amino Acid Analysis

2 New Approaches for the Chemistry of the Edman Degradation
3 New Instrumentation in Sequence Analysis and Synthesis of Biopolymers
4 C-terminal Sequence Analysis: Alternative Techniques to the Stepwise Edman Degradation
5 New Instrumentation and Approaches in Mass Spectrometry of Biopolymers
6 HPLC Purification of Proteins and Peptides for Microsequence Analysis; Recovery of Proteins from Gels
7 New Strategies of Protein and Peptide Characterization
8 Organization of an International Protein DATA Base; Evaluation of Software; Computer-assisted Search and Comparison of Sequences
9 Protein Folding and Three-dimensional Structure Elucidation of Proteins: Theoretical and Practical Approaches
10 Recombinant DNA-Technology as Tool for Protein Sequence and Activity Relationship
11 Domain Substructure Analysis and Interaction of Biomolecules
12 Immunological Recognition and Strategies
13 Analysis of Membrane Proteins
Concluding Remarks And Outlook
Contributors Index.