Amino Acids - The Building

Blocks of Protein

Dr Imran Siddiqui
 What are Proteins?
Functions of Proteins
 Proteins are chain of amino acids
 Proteins are the most abundant and functionally diverse
molecules in living systems.
 Virtually every life process depends on proteins.

Enzymes and hormones

Contractile proteins
Bone
Blood proteins
 Amino Acids
 Structure of the amino acids
 More than 300 different amino acids have been described
in nature,
 Only twenty are commonly found as constituents of
mammalian proteins.
 Each amino acid has a carboxyl group, an amino group,
and a distinctive side chain ("R-group") bonded to the
α -carbon atom.
The Basic Block: Amino Acid

Sidechain
R
H
O-
+ Cα
N C
H
H O
H

Amino group Carboxyl group

“zwitterion”
The 20 amino acids

3-letter Amino acid 3-letter Amino Acid

Ala Alanine Met Methionin
Cys Cysteine Asn Asparagine
Asp Aspartic Acid Pro Proline
Glu Glutamic Acid Gln Glutamine
Phe Phenylalanine Arg Arginine
Gly Glycine Ser Serine
His Histidine Thr Threonin
Ile Isoleucine Val Valine
Lys Lysine Trp Tryptophan
Leu Leucine Tyr Tyrosine
D & L Forms of Amino Acids
A. Amino acids with nonpolar side chains
B. Amino acids with uncharged polar
side chains
 C. Amino acids with acidic side chains
D. Amino acids with basic side chains
Peptide Bond

Animation
Summary

 All proteins are polymers built up from 20 amino

acids.

 Each amino acid shares a common main chain;

the remaining atoms form sidechains, that can be
hydrophobic, polar or charged.
 Nomenclature of Amino Acids
 Formation of Peptide Bonds