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2-, alpha-, or α-amino acids [21] have the generic formula H 2 NCHRCOOH in most cases, [b] where R is an organic substituent known as a "side chain". [22] Of the many hundreds of described amino acids, 22 are proteinogenic ("protein-building").
Modified amino acids are sometimes observed in proteins; this is usually the result of enzymatic modification after translation (protein synthesis). For example, phosphorylation of serine by kinases and dephosphorylation by phosphatases is an important control mechanism in the cell cycle .
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Amino acids are necessary nutrients. Present in every cell, they are also precursors to nucleic acids, co-enzymes, hormones, immune response, repair and other molecules essential for life. Proteins are essential nutrients for the human body. [1]
Protein structures range in size from tens to several thousand amino acids. [2] By physical size, proteins are classified as nanoparticles, between 1–100 nm. Very large protein complexes can be formed from protein subunits. For example, many thousands of actin molecules assemble into a microfilament.
Protein primary structure is the linear sequence of amino acids in a peptide or protein. [1] By convention, the primary structure of a protein is reported starting from the amino-terminal (N) end to the carboxyl-terminal (C) end. Protein biosynthesis is most commonly performed by ribosomes in cells. Peptides can also be synthesized in the ...
The first protein to have its amino acid chain sequenced was insulin, by Frederick Sanger, in 1949. Sanger correctly determined the amino acid sequence of insulin, thus conclusively demonstrating that proteins consisted of linear polymers of amino acids rather than branched chains, colloids, or cyclols. [21]
Molecular evolution uses domains as building blocks and these may be recombined in different arrangements to create proteins with different functions. In general, domains vary in length from between about 50 amino acids up to 250 amino acids in length. [1] The shortest domains, such as zinc fingers, are stabilized by metal ions or disulfide ...
DNA, RNA, and proteins all consist of a repeating structure of related building blocks (nucleotides in the case of DNA and RNA, amino acids in the case of proteins). In general, they are all unbranched polymers, and so can be represented in the form of a string.