Acid-base equilibrium constants for the five ionizable groups and metal ion (Ca2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Hg2+) binding constants of 7V'-(2-amino-2-carboxyethyl)-L-lysine (lysinoalanine, LAL) have been determined at 25 °C and 0.16 M ionic strength by potentiometric titration.Less extensive data are reported for the related compounds DL-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid (DAPA), 3-[(2-phenylethyl)amino]-DL-alanine (PEAA), and L-lanthionine (LAN), three other unnatural amino acids also formed during food processing. These unnatural amino acids are sufficiently strong chelators to influence copper transport by histidine in vivo at plasma levels of 49 µ LAL, 23 µ DAPA, 243 µ PEAA, and 511 µ LAN. Relatively high concentrations of these compounds are calculated to be necessary for competitive binding of essential zinc ions and inactivation of carboxypeptidase A and other enzymes. Possible mechanisms for kidney damage by these dehydroalanine-derived copper chelators are discussed.