L-Form Amino Acid Structure

Carboxylic group -
COO
Amino group
+
H3 N  H

H = Glycine
R group
CH3 = Alanine
Juang RH (2004) BCbasics
Mirror Images of Amino Acid

 Mirror
image

Same chemical properties
Stereo isomers
Juang RH (2004) BCbasics
 Northwest line Chung-San line
-C-C-C-N-C-N Amino Acid Subway Map
Aromatic

=
N +

Trp W -C- This is NOT a metabolic pathway

Basic Arg R N
-C- -OH Nan-Kan line
-C-CONH2 -C-C-CONH2
Lys K Tyr Y
Asn N Gln Q Amide
-C-C-C-C-NH 3
+
-C-

-C-C C His H Phe F Asp D Glu E Acidic

N N+
-C-COOH -C-C-COOH
Aliphatic
Central line Gly G A
Ala A Val V Ile I Leu L
-H C C C C
-CH3
-C -C-C-C -C-C-C

Ser S Cys C

Juang RH (2004) BCbasics

-C-OH -C-SH C
Circular line C C
South line HN C-COOH
-C-C 
Non-polar Thr T Met M -C-C-S-C
Pro P
OH Imino,
Polar Hydroxy Sulfur Circular
 Classification of Amino Acids by Polarity

POLAR Acidic Neutral Basic

Asp Asn Ser Arg
Tyr Cys His
Glu Gln Thr Lys
Gly
POLAR

Ala Ile Phe Trp

NON-

Val Leu Met Pro

Polar or non-polar, it is the bases of the amino acid properties.

Juang RH (2003) Biochemistry
 Formation of Peptide Bonds by Dehydration

Amino acids are connected head to tail

NH2 1 COOH NH2 2 COOH

Carbodiimide Dehydration
-H2O

O
NH2 1 C N 2 COOH
H
Juang RH (2004) BCbasics
 Peptide Bond Is Rigid and Planar

C H
C N
O C

Juang RH (2004) BCbasics