Glutamic acid, structure

Glutamic acid, structure and properties of, 1019 Glutamine, structure and properties of, 1018... 

Crystalline Structures. Crystal shape of amino acids varies widely, for example, monoclinic prisms in glycine and orthorhombic needles in L-alanine. X-ray crystallographic analyses of 23 amino acids have been described (31). L-Glutamic acid crystallizes in two polymorphic forms (a and P) (32), and the a-form is mote facdely handled in industrial processes. The crystal stmeture has been determined (33) and is shown in Figure 1. 

The side chains of the 20 different amino acids listed in Panel 1.1 (pp. 6-7) have very different chemical properties and are utilized for a wide variety of biological functions. However, their chemical versatility is not unlimited, and for some functions metal atoms are more suitable and more efficient. Electron-transfer reactions are an important example. Fortunately the side chains of histidine, cysteine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid are excellent metal ligands, and a fairly large number of proteins have recruited metal atoms as intrinsic parts of their structures among the frequently used metals are iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Several metallo proteins are discussed in detail in later chapters and it suffices here to mention briefly a few examples of iron and zinc proteins. 

FIGURE 18.35 Formation of THF from folic acid by the dihydrofolate reductase reaction. The R group on these folate molecules symbolizes the one to seven (or more) glutamate units that folates characteristically contain. All of these glutamates are bound in y-carboxyl amide linkages (as in the folic acid structure shown in the box A Deeper Look Folic Acid, Pterins, and Insect VFingis). The one-carbon units carried by THF are bound at N, or at or as a single carbon attached to both... 

The 20 common amino acids can be further classified as neutral, acidic, or basic, depending on the structure of their side chains. Fifteen of the twenty have neutral side chains, two (aspartic acid and glutamic acid) have an extra carboxylic acid function in their side chains, and three (lysine, arginine, and histidine) have basic amino groups in their side chains. Note that both cysteine (a thiol) and tyrosine (a phenol), although usually classified as neutral amino acids, nevertheless have weakly acidic side chains that can be deprotonated in strongly basic solution. 

This polypeptide is structurally identical to ABA-type triblock copolymer with a central hydrophdic elastomeric end-block capped with two hydrophobic plastic end-blocks and exhibits amphiphilic characteristics. The end-blocks of the polymer were chosen in such a way that their LCST would reside at or near room temperature. Thus the polymer exhibits phase separation, which is analogue to conventional TPEs, and offers TPE gels under physiological relevant conditions [104]. Glutamic acid residue is placed periodically in the elastomeric mid-block to increase its affinity towards the aqueous... 

Subramanian G, Hjehn RP, Deming TJ, Smith GS, Li Y, Safinya CR (2000) Structure of complexes of cationic lipids and poly(glutamic acid) polypeptides a pinched lamellar phase. J Am Chem Soc 122 26-34... 

Polypeptides form various secondary structures (a-heUx, 3-sheet, etc.), depending on solution pHs. We have investigated end-anchored poly(L-glutamic acid) andpoly(L-lysine) in various secondary structures [11,29,35,36], using the analytical method for the steric force... 

Nodularia spwnigena has also been shown to produce a peptide with hepato-toxic activity. The more recent reports come from Australia (76), the German Democratic Republic (77), Denmark (78), Sweden (79), and Finland (80,81). Recently structure information on Nodularia toxin has been presented by Rinehart (97) for waterbloom material collected in Lake Forsythe, New Zealand, in 1984 by Eriksson et al. (81) from waterbloom material collected in the Baltic Sea in 1986, and Runnegar et al. (82) for a field isolate from the Peel Inlet, Perth, Australia. Structure work by Rinehart, Eriksson, and Runnegar all indicate that the peptide is smaller than the heptapeptide toxins. Rinehart s work (97) indicates the toxin is a pentapeptide with a similar structure to the heptapeptides and containing fi-methylaspartic acid, glutamic acid, arginine, dehydrobutyrine, and ADDA (MW 824). 

Sidechain conservatism may be split up into at least two kinds 1) substitutions which conserve sidechain bonding forces - providing similar electrostatic, hydrophilic, or hydrogen bonding interactions, and 2) substitutions conserving secondary structure propensity. For instance, substitution of glutamic acid with aspartic acid conserves charge, but this could have a considerable effect upon the secondary structure propensity of the peptide. 

C13-0082. Draw the line structures of all possible dipeptides that can form in condensation reactions between alanine, glutamic acid, and methionine. 

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