Amino Acids Flashcards
Which amino acid is part of the ‘Unami’ taste profile?
Glutamate
Which amino acids fall under the heading of ‘branched chain amino acids’?
Valine
Leucine
Isoleucine
Which of the proteinogenic amino acids is NOT chiral?
Glycine - has 2 Hs!
Structure of glycine = HN3+ / H / H / COO-
What is the charge of a ‘free’ amino acid with a neutral side chain at physiological pH?
0
If an amino acid is ACIDIC what group will it contain?
COO-
Which amino acid can FORM disulphide bonds?
Cysteine
Which amino acid is an ‘Imino’ acid?
PROLINE
What is physiological ph?
Ph 7.4
Which amino acid CONTAINS a disulphide bond?
Cystine!
The conversion of glutamate to glutamine requires what compounds?
ATP
NH4+
Glutamate!
What is true about Allosteric Regulation?
It can include BOTH activation and inhibition
An allosteric ligand binds to a site on enzyme that is NOT the active site!
In a healthy individual, the ‘free’ amino acid found at HIGHEST levels in blood is…
Glutamine
Which metabolic pathways provide ‘carbon backbone’ intermediates that can be used in amino acid SYNTHESIS?
Tricarboxylic acid cycle / TAC
Glycolysis
Pentose Phosphate Pathway
Glutamate Dehydrogenase enzyme is UNIQUE can use two compounds as biological reductants, what are they?
NADH
NADPH
Ammonium NH4+ is converted to glutamate by using the enzyme…
Glutamate Dehydrogenase
What does Chiral mean?
It means that the Alpha carbon has got 4 DIFFERENT constituents (groups attached!)
Aliphatic means…
Contains chains of Carbon and Hydrogen
Glycine is the ONLY… amino acid
Non - chiral!
What is meant by non-polar?
Hydrophobic
CAN’T form hydrogen bonds
Therefore NOT soluble in water!
Peptide bonds: which characteristic provides restriction to the rotation that can happen around the bond?
They are a form of Covalent bond and have a partial 2+ charge meaning that there is just enough Pi bonding between the Carbon and Nitrogen to restrict movement around the bond!
