Amino Acids / Proteins Flashcards
Essential Amino Acids
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Non-Essential Amino Acids
Alanine Arginine Asparagine Aspartic acid Cysteine Glutamic acid Glutamine Glycine Proline Selenocysteine Serine Tyrosine
Alpha Amino Acids
D or L Isomer
Almost all biological amino acids are in the L-configuration
Non-Polar Amino Acids
Alanine
Glycine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Methionine
Proline
Valine
Carboxyl Amino Acids
Aspartic Acid
Glutamic Acid
Amine Amino Acids
Arginine
Histidine
Lysine
Aromatic Amino Acids
Phenylalanine
Tryptophan
Tyrosine
Hydroxyl Amino Acids
Serine
Threonine
Tyrosine
Other Category Amino Acids
Asparagine
Cysteine
Glutamine
Selenocysteine
Pyrrolysine
Ionizable Amino Acids

Artomatic R-Groups at Physiolgoical pH
Alpha carboxyl group deprotonated & Alpha amine group protonated
Aliphatic R-Groups at Physiological pH
Carboxyl R-Groups at Physiological pH
Alpha carboxyl deprotonated, Alpha amino protonated, & R-group carboxyl deprotonated
Hydroxy R-Groups at Physiological pH
Alpha carboxyl deprotonated & Alpha amino protonated
**At high pH, the R-group hydroxy will ionize**
Sulfhydryl R-Group at Physiological pH
Alpha carboxyl deprotonated & Alpha amino protonated
**Sulfer ionized around pH = 8**
Carboxamide R-Groups at Physiological pH
Alpha carboxyl deprotonated & Alpha amino protonated
Amine R-Groups at Physiological pH
Alpha carboxyl deprotonated, Alpha amide protonated, & least protonated amine protonated
Rare Amino Acids

Non-Protein Amino Acids
Carnitine, Citrulline, Ornithine, etc.

Why do we care about the ionization charge on proteins?
Changes in charge change protein function
Ex: Pepsin is most active around pH = 2, while Trypsin is most active around pH = 5
Phosphorylated Amino Acids

Breakdown of Amino Acids

Peptide Bond Formation
Alpha amino group on one amino acid donates an H to a carboxyl group on a different amino acid, creating H2O as a leaving group so that the newly charged amino group can add to the carbon of the other amino acid.
