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A Specialist Periodical Report Amino-acids, Peptides, and Proteins Volume 1 A Review of the Literature Published during 1968 Senior Reporter G. T. Young, The Dyson Perrins Laboratory, University of Oxford Reporters C. C. F. Blake, University of Oxford J. S. Davies, Universify College of Swansea, University of Wales R. D. Gillard, University of Kent P. M. Hardy, Universify of Exefer J. H. Jones, Universify of Oxford S. Laurie, Universify of Kent R. N. Perharn, Cambridge University D. G. Srnyth, Nafional Institute for Medical Research, London S B N : 85186 004 4 @ Copyright 1969 The Chemical Society Burlington House, London, W I V OBN The introduction of Specialist Periodical Reports, giving comprehensive accounts of progress in specialised, limited areas of chemistry, is an important development in the publications policy of the Chemical Society. These volumes are designed to assist the research worker in his own field, and their appearance allows the long-established AnnuaZ Reports on the Progress of Chemistry to return to their original aim, to keep the nonspecialist informed of the highly significant advances in the major fields of pure chemistry. I was asked by the Reports and Reviews Committee of the Society to invite experts to collaborate in the production of a Report on Amino-acids, Peptides, and Proteins. It seemed to me that it would be unreasonable to ask active workers to extend their survey much beyond the area of their special interest, and this volume is therefore the result of the co-operation of eight authors. I must make it clear that my contribution goes no further than the overall editorial supervision, and I record here my gratitude to each author for his willing help. I believe that those working or intending to work in this field will be grateful also. The scope of the Report is essentially limited to the chemistry of aminoacids, peptides, and proteins, but Chapter 5 discusses some aspects of the relationship between the structure and biological activity of selected peptides and proteins; the Annual Reports for 1968 include a section on Enzyme Mechanisms. The intention has been to review all relevant papers listed in Current Chemical Papers during 1968, together with those appearing in the main journals that year even if not so listed, but the late arrival in this country of some December issues of U.S. journals prevented their inclusion in this survey. Some papers published early in 1969 have been noted. The delay which would be involved in forming a subject index was considered to be unacceptable, and it is hoped that the extended list of contents will enable readers to find material without difficulty; an Author Index is included. It should be noted that reference numbers apply to the Chapter in which they occur, or, if the Chapter is divided into Parts, to the Part concerned. We have adopted the abbreviated designations of amino-acid derivatives and polypeptides recommended in I . U . P . A .C . Information BuZZetin No. 25 (1966). There are still examples in the literature of formulations, particularly of branched-chain and cyclic polypeptides and depsipeptides, which are ambiguous because these Rules are not followed; for iv Preface example, Glu must be understood to mean 0-(y-glutamy1)-threonine, and I Thr N-(a-glutamy1)-threonine is formulated as Glu-Thr. Rearrangement of structures to give the correct alignment may at times be awkward, but an ambiguous formulation is still more undesirable, and we appeal to authors and editors to adopt the conventions which have been agreed internationally. In a survey of this kind, overlap between sections is bound to occur and, within limits, is desirable, for the convenience of the reader. It was felt that it would be helpful in certain sections to give in this first issue