MBIO 2360 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Glutamine, Cysteine, Aspartic Acid
1 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
Proteins are polymers of amino acids: so to understand protein properties, we must first understand the properties of amino acids. Amino acids can also function of neurotransmitters (glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (gaba) hormones (thyroxine), as bacterial cell wall components (d-alanine)) and as intermediates in many metabolic pathways. We limit ourselves to the common alpha-amino acid in which the carboxylic acid and amino groups are attached to the same carbon - the alpha-carbon: draw common structure. Only 20 alpha amino acids are encoded in genetic material, and it is the r group (side chain) that varies among them. We now look at: r groups, chirality. The amount of ionizaible groups = amount of buffer regions in titration curve. Amino acids: r-groups: non-polar (aliphatic (hydrocarbon only), hydrophobic) r groups. These groups will be the ones on the inside for hydrophobic effect. R : makes a kink in the protein. Codon is aag- the start codon: aromatic r groups.
