AAshortcuts - Shortcuts / summary of amino acids

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A list of tricks to help you remember the amino acids

Structures Names (letter code) Side chain features/description

Aliphatic

C

H

H COOH

NH 2

Glycine (G) hydrogen for R, most simple, optically inactive

C

H

CH 3

NH 2

COOH

Alanine (A)methyl for R, a simple functional group to start just like “A” (in alanine) starts the alphabet

C

H

NH 2

CH

CH 3

CH 3

COOH

Valine (V) simple again, but shaped like the “V” in its name

C

H

NH 2

CH CH 2 COOH

CH 3

CH 3

Leucine (L) valine extended by one methylene

C

H

NH 2

CH COOH

CH 3

CH 3 CH 2

Isoleucine (I) lopsided valine....?

N

COOH

H

Proline (P) 3 carbon chain to proline’s own nitrogen, structurally “special” and found in turns

Sulfur-containing

C

H

NH 2

CH 3 S CH 2 CH 2 COOH

Methionine (M) special - starts every protein, 3 carbons with a thioether; methyl-blocked sulfhydryl...?

C

H

NH 2

HS CH 2 COOH

Cysteine (C) “sulfhydryl alanine,” reactive, can form disulfides

© 2001 by Jeff Dahlseid

Aromatic H COOH NH 2

CH 2 C

Phenylalanine (F) alanine with a phenol group which you KNOW is aromatic, the “Y” in phenyl can remind you which 3 amino acids with names beginning with T (the “T”s) are aromatics

HO CH 2 C

H

COOH

NH 2

Tyrosine (Y) hydroxylated phenylalanine, one of 3 “T”s that has “Y” in its name so it is an aromatic

N

CH 2 C

H

NH 2

COOH

H

Tryptophan (W) one of 3 “T”s with a “Y” so it is aromatic, will “tryp” you up because it is hard to remember, has a 3 carbon start to N (or indole ring on methylene)

Aliphatic hydroxyl

C

H

NH 2

HO CH 2 COOH

Serine (S) “hydroxyl alanine”

CH 3 C C COOH

OH H

H NH 2

Threonine (T) one of 3 “T”s, without “Y” so aliphatic (also its symbol is the first letter of its name like the other aliphatics), its “threo” parts are methyl, hydroxyl, and hydrogen on a single C