Biochemistry

• Only L--Amino Acids Occur in Proteins

• Amino Acids May Have Positive, Negative, or Zero Net Charge

• At Its Isoelectric pH (pI), an Amino Acid Bears No Net Charge

• pKa Values Vary With the Environment

• The Solubility and Melting Points of Amino Acids Reflect Their Ionic Character
 d- isomer

l- isomer

“ * “
Single letter code for amino acid
On the
basis of
R Group

On the
basis of
Precursor
4-hydroxyproline, a derivative of
proline,
5-hydroxylysine, derived from
lysine.
The former is found in plant cell
wall proteins, and both are found in
collagen, a fibrous protein of
connective tissues.
6-N Methyllysine
is a constituent of myosin, a
contractile protein of muscle.
Another important uncommon
amino acid is -carboxyglutamate,
found in the blood clotting protein
prothrombin and in certain other
proteins that bind Ca2 as part of
their biological function.
Selenocysteine
This rare amino acid residue is introduced during protein synthesis
rather than created through a postsynthetic modification. It contains
selenium rather than the sulfur of cysteine.