Common Amino Acids (common + amino_acids)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Determination of cationic mobilities and pKa values of 22 amino acids by capillary zone electrophoresis

ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 2 2004
eláková, ina V
Abstract The effective mobilities of the cationic forms of common amino acids , mostly proteinogenic , were determined by capillary zone electrophoresis in acidic background electrolytes at pH between 2.0 and 3.2. The underivatized amino acids were detected by the double contactless conductivity detector. Experimentally measured effective mobilities were fitted with the suitable regression functions in dependence on pH of the background electrolyte. The parameters of the given regression function corresponded to the values of the actual mobilities and the mixed dissociation constants (combining activities and concentrations) of the compound related to the actual ionic strength. McInnes approximation and Onsager theory were used to obtain thermodynamic dissociation constants (pKa) and limiting (absolute) ionic mobilities. [source]


IMGT standardized criteria for statistical analysis of immunoglobulin V-REGION amino acid properties

JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION, Issue 1 2004
Christelle Pommié
Abstract IMGT, the international ImMunoGeneTics information system® (http://imgt.cines.fr) is a high-quality integrated information system specializing in immunoglobulins (IG), T cell receptors (TR) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) of human and other vertebrates. IMGT comprises IMGT/LIGM-DB, the comprehensive database of IG and TR sequences from human and other vertebrates (76,846 sequences in September 2003). In order to define the IMGT criteria necessary for standardized statistical analyses, the sequences of the IG variable regions (V-REGIONs) from productively rearranged human IG heavy (IGH) and IG light kappa (IGK) and lambda (IGL) chains were extracted from IMGT/LIGM-DB. The framework amino acid positions of 2474 V-REGIONs (1360 IGHV, 585 IGKV, 529 IGLV) were numbered according to the IMGT unique numbering. Two statistical methods (correspondence analysis and hierarchic classification) were used to analyze the 237 framework positions (80 for IGHV, 79 for IGKV, 78 for IGLV), for three properties (hydropathy, volume and chemical characteristics) of the 20 common amino acids. Results of the analyses are shown as standardized two-dimensional representations, designated as IMGT Colliers de Perles statistical profiles. They provide a characterization of the amino acid properties at each framework position of the expressed IG V-REGIONs, and a visualization of the resemblances and differences between heavy and light, and between kappa and lambda sequences. The standardized criteria defined in this paper, amino acid positions and property classes, will be useful to study the mutations and allele polymorphisms, to establish correlations between amino acids in the IG and TR protein three-dimensional structures and to extract new knowledge from V-like domains of chains, other than IG and TR, belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Expansion of the genetic code in yeast: making life more complex

BIOESSAYS, Issue 2 2004
Brian K. Davis
Proteins account for the catalytic and structural versatility displayed by all cells, yet they are assembled from a set of only 20 common amino acids. With few exceptions, only 61 nucleotide triplets also direct incorporation of these amino acids. Endeavors to expand the genetic code recently progressed to nucleus-containing cells, after Chin et al.1 transferred Escherichia coli genes for a mutant tyrosine-adaptor molecule and its synthetase into Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Transformed yeast cells were produced that exhibit efficient site-specific incorporation of non-biotic amino acids into proteins. This makes it likely that code complexity can be elevated experimentally in mammals. BioEssays 26:111,115, 2004. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


Amino Acids Analysis by MALDI Mass Spectrometry Using Carbon Nanotube as Matrix

CHINESE JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2005
Zhang Jing
Abstract Twenty common amino acids have been analyzed successfully by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) using carbon nanotubes as matrix. From the spectra, little or no background interference or fragmentation of the analytes has been observed. This method was also applied to the analysis of amino acid mixture successfully. Carbon nanotubes have some features such as large surface area to disperse the analyte molecules sufficiently and prevent the sample aggregation and strong ultraviolet absorption to transfer energy easily to the analyte molecules. The present method has potential application for the rapid and sensitive analysis of amino acids and their mixture [source]