Kirks Amino Acids Chart

Note: an amino acid may be considered to belong to more than one category. For charge state, consider
physiological condition (~pH 7). The range of pKa for -COOH (1.7-2.6) and for -NH3+ (8.8 to 10.8).

Letter Chemical Structure of Side Chain

Name Hydrophobic Polar Charged Aromatic
Codes Side Chain R pKa
Ala
Alanine CH3 Y N N N
A
Arg
Arginine (CH2)3NH-C(NH)NH2 Y Y/N Y(+) N 12.5
R
Asn
Asparagine CH2CONH2 N Y/N N N
N
Asp
Aspartic acid CH2COOH N Y/N Y(-) N 3.9
D
Cys
Cysteine CH2SH Y/N Y/N N N 8.3
C
Gln
Glutamine CH2CH2CONH2 N Y/N N N
Q
Glu
Glutamic acid CH2CH2COOH N Y/N Y(-) N 4.3
E
Gly
Glycine H Y/N Y/N** N N
G
His
Histidine CH2-C3H3N2 Y Y/N Y(+) Y 6.0
H
Ile
Isoleucine CH(CH3)CH2CH3 Y N N N
I
Leu
Leucine CH2CH(CH3)2 Y N N N
L
Lys
Lysine (CH2)4NH2 Y Y/N Y(+) N 10.5
K
Met
Methionine CH2CH2SCH3 Y N N N
M
Phe
Phenylalanine CH2C6H5 Y N N Y
F
Pro
Proline CH2CH2CH2- Y N N N
P
Ser
Serine CH2OH Y/N Y/N N N 13
S
Thr
Threonine CH(OH)CH3 Y Y/N N N 13
T
Trp
Tryptophan CH2C8H6N Y Y/N* N Y
W
Tyr
Tyrosine CH2-C6H4OH Y Y/N* N Y 10.1
Y
Val
Valine CH(CH3)2 Y N N N
V
AVLIPMF have entirely nonpolar R groups. The rest are amphiphilic (varying amounts of polar and nonpolar parts).
*Y and W have the smallest polar portion.
**Glycine with only H as its R group can be accommodated in both polar and nonpolar environments. As such, it is
found both inside and on the surface of proteins. Its polar peptide linkages are the major determinant of its property.

Non-Polar/ Hydrophobic Polar/ Hydrophilic Sulfur Hydroxyl (-OH) Aromatic

AVLIPMFGW STYCNQ MC STY FYW
 13 8.3 13

10.5
12.5
4.3
3.9 6.0

10.1