# TRITIUM LABELING-MECHANISMS AND METHODS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 1990 · $138,943

## Abstract

The objective of the proposed research is to study the conditions under
which tritium labeled compounds such as unsaturates, polypeptides,
proteins, and biomolecules, can be obtained with high specific activity and
minimum degradation.

The use of energy transfer agents, catalytic surfaces and graded tritium
energies to increase the selectivity of tritium labeling by active species
of tritium will be studied.  The short duration of exposure, mild
conditions, minimum radiation degradation and high specific activity can be
obtained make excitation labeling the method of choice for complex
molecules and biomelecules.

Adsorbed or chemisorbed tritium on supported metal catalysts will be used
for tritium labeling.  Adsorbed tritium is the mildest tritium exchange
agent and can label compounds with hydrogen sensitive groups without
causing their reduction or substitution.  The method can be improved to
increase the amount of tritium adsorbed or chemisorbed on the catalyst so
that curie amount of tritium is available for tritation of biological
molecules.

The use of surfaces to complex and stabilize the peptide bond and the N-
and C-terminal residues in peptide molecules to minimize degradation will
be investigated and, particularly, the reactions of protected and
non-protected small peptides with tritium to determine how polypeptides
such as interferons and insulin can be routinely labeled with high specific
activity.

The dehalogenation reactions, i.e., T-for-I and T-for-Br reactions are
particularly useful for introducing tritium into specific positions in a
molecule in the absence of hydrogen transfer catalyst and will be
investigated.  Dehalogenation in the presence of metal catalyst may result
in tritium exchange and is undesirable.

Tritium NMR spectroscopy of some of these labeled compounds will be
performed by Dr. Yang of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3171379
- **Project number:** 2R01CA033537-07A2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **SAM.gov UEI:** KMH5K9V7S518
- **Principal Investigator:** CHIN-TZU PENG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1990
- **Award amount:** $138,943
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1982-07-01 → 1992-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3171379

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3171379, TRITIUM LABELING-MECHANISMS AND METHODS (2R01CA033537-07A2). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-24 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3171379. Licensed CC0.

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