Bergmann degradation Bergmann降解反应
The Bergmann degradation is a series of chemical reactions designed to remove a single amino acid from the carboxylic acid (C-terminal) end of a peptide. First demonstrated by Max Bergmann in 1934, it is a rarely used method for sequencing peptides. The later developed Edman degradation is an improvement upon the Bergmann degradation, instead cleaving the N-terminal amino acid of peptides to produce a hydantoin containing the desired amino acid. The Bergmann degradation combines the azide degradation of the Curtius rearrangement with Bergmann and Zervas' carbobenzoxy method, which they designed to occur under relatively mild conditions so as to allow for peptide sequencing. A single round of the Bergmann degradation yields an aldehyde containing the sought after amino acid residue and the remaining fragment of the original peptide in amide form.