Amino acids are organic compounds that contain both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups. Although over 500 amino acids exist in nature, by far the most important are the α-amino acids, from which proteins are composed. Only 22 α-amino acids appear in the genetic code of all life.
Proline (symbol Pro or P) is an organic acid classed as a proteinogenic amino acid (used in the biosynthesis of proteins), although it does not contain the amino group -NH
2 but is rather a secondary amine. The secondary amine nitrogen is in the protonated form (NH2+) under biological conditions, while the carboxyl group is in the deprotonated −COO− form. The "side chain" from the α carbon connects to the nitrogen forming a pyrrolidine loop, classifying it as a aliphatic amino acid. It is non-essential in humans, meaning the body can synthesize it from the non-essential amino acid L-glutamate. It is encoded by all the codons starting with CC (CCU, CCC, CCA, and CCG).
Pyrrolysine is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins in some methanogenic archaea and bacteria; it is not present in humans. It contains an α-amino group, a carboxylic acid group. Its pyrroline side-chain is similar to that of lysine in being basic and positively charged at neutral pH.
Asparagine is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. It contains an α-amino group, an α-carboxylic acid group, and a side chain carboxamide, classifying it as a polar, aliphatic amino acid. It is non-essential in humans, meaning the body can synthesize it. It is encoded by the codons AAU and AAC.
A dipeptide is an organic compound derived from two amino acids. The constituent amino acids can be the same or different. When different, two isomers of the dipeptide are possible, depending on the sequence. Several dipeptides are physiologically important, and some are both physiologically and commercially significant. A well known dipeptide is aspartame, an artificial sweetener.
In molecular biology, biosynthesis is a multi-step, enzyme-catalyzed process where substrates are converted into more complex products in living organisms. In biosynthesis, simple compounds are modified, converted into other compounds, or joined to form macromolecules. This process often consists of metabolic pathways. Some of these biosynthetic pathways are located within a single cellular organelle, while others involve enzymes that are located within multiple cellular organelles. Examples of these biosynthetic pathways include the production of lipid membrane components and nucleotides. Biosynthesis is usually synonymous with anabolism.
The acyl carrier protein (ACP) is a cofactor of both fatty acid and polyketide biosynthesis machinery. It is one of the most abundant proteins in cells of E. coli. In both cases, the growing chain is bound to the ACP via a thioester derived from the distal thiol of a 4'-phosphopantetheine moiety.
Glutamine synthetase (GS) is an enzyme that plays an essential role in the metabolism of nitrogen by catalyzing the condensation of glutamate and ammonia to form glutamine:
L-(+)-(S)-Canavanine is a non-proteinogenic amino acid found in certain leguminous plants. It is structurally related to the proteinogenic α-amino acid L-arginine, the sole difference being the replacement of a methylene bridge (-CH
2- unit) in arginine with an oxa group (i.e., an oxygen atom) in canavanine. Canavanine is accumulated primarily in the seeds of the organisms which produce it, where it serves both as a highly deleterious defensive compound against herbivores (due to cells mistaking it for arginine) and a vital source of nitrogen for the growing embryo. The related L-canaline is similar to ornithine.
Aminoacyl-tRNA is tRNA to which its cognate amino acid is chemically bonded (charged). The aa-tRNA, along with particular elongation factors, deliver the amino acid to the ribosome for incorporation into the polypeptide chain that is being produced during translation.
Didemnins are cyclic depsipeptide compounds isolated from a tunicate of the genus Trididemnum that were collected in the Caribbean Sea. They were first isolated in 1978 at the University of Illinois.
Amino acid synthesis is the set of biochemical processes by which the amino acids are produced. The substrates for these processes are various compounds in the organism's diet or growth media. Not all organisms are able to synthesize all amino acids. For example, humans can synthesize 11 of the 20 standard amino acids. These 11 are called the non-essential amino acids).
1-Pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid is a cyclic imino acid. Its conjugate base and anion is 1-pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C). In solution, P5C is in spontaneous equilibrium with glutamate-5-semialdhyde (GSA).
In enzymology, an omega-amidase (EC 3.5.1.3) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Pipecolic acid (piperidine-2-carboxylic acid) is an organic compound with the formula HNC5H9CO2H. It is a carboxylic acid derivative of piperidine and, as such, an amino acid, although not one encoded genetically. Like many other α-amino acids, pipecolic acid is chiral, although the S-stereoisomer is more common. It is a colorless solid.
Beetin is a ribosome-inactivating protein found in the leaves of sugar beets, Beta vulgaris L, specifically attacking plant ribosomes. Sugar beet, beetins, that have been isolated meet all the criteria to be classified as single chain ribosome inactivating proteins that are highly toxic to mammalian ribosomes but non-toxic to intact cultured mammalian cells. Beetin expression occurs when there is a viral infection of the plant. The different levels of glycosylation of the same polypeptide chain result in the two forms of beetin. Beetin exhibits these two primary forms with apparent Mr values of 27 000 (BE27) and 29 000 (BE29) along with possessing glycan chains. Beetins are a type-I (single-chain) proteins with N-glycoside activity. Since it has been discovered that beetin is mostly concentrated in the intercellular fluid, its presence in the remaining parts of the leaf may be below the limit of detection rather than being nonexistent. The expression of beetin is only found in mature plants, but is present in all developing stages.
In biochemistry, non-coded or non-proteinogenic amino acids are distinct from the 22 proteinogenic amino acids which are naturally encoded in the genome of organisms for the assembly of proteins. However, over 140 non-proteinogenic amino acids occur naturally in proteins and thousands more may occur in nature or be synthesized in the laboratory. Chemically synthesized amino acids can be called unnatural amino acids. Unnatural amino acids can be synthetically prepared from their native analogs via modifications such as amine alkylation, side chain substitution, structural bond extension cyclization, and isosteric replacements within the amino acid backbone. Many non-proteinogenic amino acids are important:
Edward Rubenstein was an American doctor of internal medicine, with major contributions in the fields of medical education, research, and the arts.
In organic chemistry, secondary amino acids are amino acids which do not contain the amino group −NH2 but is rather a secondary amine. Secondary amino acids can be classified to cyclic acids, such as proline, and acyclic N-substituted amino acids.
