What are the functional groups in phenylalanine?

l-phenylalanine (l-phe) consists of three different functional groups, i.e., phenyl, carboxyl (–COOH) and amino (–NH2), joining through the Cα–Cβ bridge.

What is phenylalanine R group?

Phenylalanine is an aromatic amino acid. Like all amino acids, it has an amino group (-NH2) – blue with 2 white balls – at one end, and a carboxylic acid group (-COOH) – grey, connected to red, and red and white – at the other end. Between these is the α- (alpha) carbon to which the ‘R’ group is attached.

What is the function of phenylalanine?

Function: The essential amino acid L-phenylalanine (Phe) is needed for the synthesis of proteins, catecholamines, and melanin; it is also an important precursor of the amino acid L-tyrosine (Tyr).

What bonds are in phenylalanine?

The anion, cation, and the zwitterion forms of the phenylalanine are characterized by the presence of NH···OC hydrogen bonds. In the case of neutral form, the amino and carboxyl groups interact through an OH···NH2 hydrogen bond.

How many functional groups are present in phenylalanine?

two functional groups
Structure of phenylalanine Like all of the amino acids, phenylalanine has two functional groups, an amine group (NH2) and a carboxyl group (COOH). Its side chain consists of a benzene ring attached to the central carbon atom by a CH2group. It is a non-polar, aromatic, amino acid.

Does phenylalanine have peptide bond?

Peptide-Bond Formation. The linking of two amino acids is accompanied by the loss of a molecule of water. Thus, in the pentapeptide Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu (YGGFL), phenylalanine is the amino-terminal (N-terminal) residue and leucine is the carboxyl-terminal (C-terminal) residue (Figure 3.19).

Is phenylalanine bad for your health?

Phenylalanine isn’t a health concern for most people. However, for people who have the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) or certain other health conditions phenylalanine can be a serious health concern.

Why is phenylalanine important?

It’s Important for Normal Functioning of Your Body Your body needs phenylalanine and other amino acids to make proteins. Many important proteins are found in your brain, blood, muscles, internal organs and virtually everywhere else in your body. Tyrosine: This amino acid is produced directly from phenylalanine.

Can phenylalanine form hydrogen bonds?

We should note here that the side chains of histidine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan are also able to form weak hydrogen bonds of the types OH−π and CH−O, using electron clouds within their ring structures.

Where do we get phenylalanine?

Phenylalanine occurs naturally in many protein-rich foods, such as milk, eggs and meat. Phenylalanine is also sold as a dietary supplement.