GluVal

GluVal is a dipeptide consisting of the amino acids glutamate (Glu) and valine (Val) linked by a single peptide bond. In sequence notation it is written Glu-Val or GluVal. It is not encoded by a gene in living organisms but can be produced synthetically and used as a simple model peptide in biochemical research.

Chemically, Glu-Val is a zwitterionic molecule at physiological pH, with an N-terminal amino group and a C-terminal carboxyl group, and with the glutamate side chain bearing an additional carboxylate. The dipeptide is marginally acidic in solution due to its glutamate residue. Its approximate molecular weight is around 246 Da, depending on salt form and measurement conditions.

Synthesis and purification are routinely accomplished by standard solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), using Fmoc or Boc protection strategies, followed by purification via high-performance liquid chromatography. It is widely available from peptide suppliers as a ready-made dipeptide and can serve as a building block for longer sequences or as a calibration standard in analytical workflows such as LC-MS and NMR spectroscopy.

Applications include serving as a model substrate to study protease specificity, to illustrate peptide chemistry concepts in teaching laboratories, and as a simple benchmark for method development in peptide purification and analytical characterization. Glu-Val also appears in discussions of dipeptide properties and as a representative acidic dipeptide in instructional materials.

See also: dipeptide, peptide synthesis, protease substrate, amino acid.