KINETICS OF ACID HYDROLYSIS OF 2-ACETAMIDO-I-N-(BETA-L-ASPARTYL)-2-DEOXY-BETA-D-GLUCOPYRANOSYLAMINE

2-Acetamido-1-N-(β-L-aspartyl)-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranosylamine (I) is hydrolysed in 2 M HC1 at a rate which is approximately twice that a which aspartic acid is released during the earlier stages of the reaction. The rate of release of aspartic acid from hen's egg albumin glycopeptide occures at a rate which is about 60% of that at which the amino acid is released from Compound I. The rates of release of aspartic acid become much lower as reaction proceeds further, as also does the rate of formation of ammonia. These data, together with considerations of the kinetics for the release of glucosamine from Compound I, suggest that there are two major pathways for the hydrolysis of Compound I. © 1969.