MCAT Amino Acids

glycine

alanine

valine

leucine

isoleucine

proline

methionine

phenylalanine

tryptophan

serine

threonine

asparagine

glutamine

cysteine

tyrosine

aspartic acid

glutamic acid

arginine

lysine

histidine

what are the nonpolar amino acids with aliphatic (hydrocarbon) side chains

glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine

what are the nonpolar AAs with unique side chains

proline, methionine

what are the nonpolar AAs with aromatic side chains

phenylalanine, tryptophan

what are the polar uncharged AAs

serine, threonine, asparagine, glutamine, cysteine, tyrosine

what are the polar NEGATIVE/ACIDIC AAs

aspartic acid, glutamic acid

what are the polar POSITIVE/BASIC AAs

arginine, lysine, histidine

what is the only achiral AA

glycine

what mutation in hemoglobin causes sickle cell

glu to val

what is the difference between leucine and isoleucine

leucine has an isbutyl group, isoleucine has a sec-butyl group with 3iary carbon closer to alpha carbon

what makes proline special

only AA with a cyclic component linking back to amine N, causes kinks in 2ary structure and is common in turns of beta sheets

is the sulfur in methionine able to donate H bonds

no

what is the precursor for serotonin and melatonin

tryptophan

does tryptophan form many H bonds?

no b/c of the ring structures

what amino acids are target by phosphrylation

serine, threonine, tyrosine, histidine (IN PROKARYOTES)

can cysteine form H bonds

yes - it’s just not very polar

what kind of bonds can cysteine form with itself

covalent disulfide bonds-2 cysteines make a cystine, 3ary structure

which amino acid is an excitatory NT in CNS

glutamic acid

what is the most basic AA

arginine b/c charge becomes resonance stabilized when an H is picked up

what AA is involved in methylation and acetylation

lysine

which form of histidine is dominant in physiological conditions

DEprotonated form, is a buffer that can act as a weak acid or base

three and one letter code for glycine

GLY, G

three and one letter code for ALANINE

ALA, A

three and one letter code for VALINE

VAL, V

three and one letter code for LEUCINE

LEU, L

three and one letter code for ISOLEUCINE

ILE, I

three and one letter code for PROLINE

PRO, P

three and one letter code for METHIONINE

MET, M

three and one letter code for PHENYLALANINE

PHE, F

three and one letter code for TRYPTOPHAN

TRP, W

three and one letter code for SERINE

SER, S

three and one letter code for THREONINE

THR, T

three and one letter code for ASPARAGINE

ASN, N

three and one letter code for GLUTAMINE

GLN, Q

three and one letter code for CYSTEINE

CYS, C

three and one letter code for TYROSINE

TYR, Y

three and one letter code for ASPARTIC ACID

ASP, D

three and one letter code for GLUTAMIC ACID

GLU, E

three and one letter code for ARGININE

ARG, R

three and one letter code for LYSINE

LYS, K

three and one letter code for HISTIDINE

HIS, H