Basics and Amino acids Classification

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Amino acids can be classified into 4 types:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Classification
Classification
Classification
Classification

based
based
based
based

on
on
on
on

the
the
the
the

position of -NH2
composition of -R side chain
Nutritional requirement
Metabolic Fate

A) CLASSIFICATION BASED ON THE POSITION OF NH2:

o
o

o
o
o

Table of Contents [hide]

1 a) Classification based on the position of -NH2:
2 b) Classification based on the composition of -R side chain:
3 a) Neutral Amino Acids (or) Simple amino acids:
4 b) Hydroxyl Group containing amino acids:
5 c) Sulphar Containing amino acids:
6 d) Acidic amino acids:
7 e) Basic amino acids:
8 f) Heterocyclic amino acid:
9 g) Aromatic amino acid:
10 h) Imino acid:
11 c) Classification based on the Nutritional requirement:
11.1 1. Essential Amino acids (EAA):
12 MATT VIL PHLy
13
(or)
14
PVT TIM HALL
14.1 2. Non-Essential Amino acids (NEAA):
14.2 3. Semi-Essential Amino acid:
15 d) Classification based on the Metabolic Fates
15.1 i) Purely ketogenic amino acids:
15.2 ii) Ketogenic and Glucogenic amino acids:
15.3 iii) Purely Glucogenic amino acids:

Amino acids can be classified into THREE types:

i) -amino acid: The amino group attached to the next carbon of the carboxyl group is
called -amino acid All naturally occurring amino acids are in -L-amino acids.
ii) -amino acid: the amino group attached to the third carbon (numbering from
Carboxyl group) of the amino acid is called -amino acid. Eg: -alanine, it is one of the
end product of Pyrimidine catabolism.
iii) -amino acid: the amino group attached to the Fourth carbon (numbering from
Carboxyl group) of the amino acid is called -amino acid. Eg: GABA (Gamma Amino
Butyric Acid)

B) CLASSIFICATION BASED ON THE COMPOSITION OF

-R SIDE CHAIN:
Based on the composition of R side chain, amino acids can be categorized into 8 types:
(Fairley & Kigour, 1966)

A) NEUTRAL AMINO ACIDS (OR) SIMPLE AMINO

ACIDS:
These have no functional group in the side chain. Eg:

Name of the
Amino acid

Glycine(glycosG=s
weet)
AlanineIsolated
from Silk Fibroin in
1888.

Valine

LeucineIsolated
from Cheese by
Proust in 1819.
IsoleucineDiscove
red by Paul Erhlish
(LT 1854 to 1915)

Single
letter
symbo
l

Three
letter
symbo
l

IUPAC name

Source

-amino
acetate

Animal
sourceare
Scleroproteins,
Gelatin and silk
fibroin.Plant
source are
Glycine Max (Soya
been)

Ala

-amino
propionate

Alanine is present
in Silk fibroin alon
with Glycine

Val

aminoisovalar
ate

Gly

Leu

aminoisocapr
oate

Ile

-amino-methylvalarat
e

Isolated from
cheese, but later
it was obtained in
purer form fro
hydrolysates of
wool.

B) HYDROXYL GROUP CONTAINING AMINO ACIDS:

These contain a hydroxyl group in their side chain. Eg:

Name of the
Amino acid
SerineDerived
from the Serum
ThreonineDisco
vered by Meyer &
Rose in 1936

Single
letter
symb
ol

Three
letter
symbo
l

IUPAC
name

Source

Ser

-amino-hydroxyl
propionate

Silk protein, Sericin,

and Fibroin

-amino-hydroxyl
butyrate

Threonine is less
abundant than
serine in most
proteins.

Thr

C) SULPHAR CONTAINING AMINO ACIDS:

These posses a sulfur atom in the side chain. Eg:

Name of the
Amino acid
CysteineIsol
ated from
Urinary
stones in
1843

Methionine

Singl
e
letter
symb
ol

Three
letter
symbol

IUPAC name

Source

Cys

-amino-mercaptopropionat
e

Fibrous proteina
such as Keratin
from hair are
especially rich in
cysteins (12%)

Met

-amino-methylmercaptobu
tyrate

D) ACIDIC AMINO ACIDS:

These have a Carboxyl group in the side chain

Name of the
Amino acid
Aspartic
acidDiscovere
d
by Ritthauseni
n 1868.
Glutamic
acidDiscovere
d
by Ritthauseni
n 1866

Single
letter
symbol

Three
letter
symbol

IUPAC
name

Source

Asp

aminosuccin
ate

It is the parent
compound of
aspargine.

aminoglutar
ate

It is found in
Gluten. It is the
parent compound
of Glutamine.

Glu

E) BASIC AMINO ACIDS:

These possess an amino group in the side chain. Eg:
Name of
the
Amino
acid

Arginine

Lysine

Single
letter
symb
ol

Three
letter
symb
ol

Arg

Lys

IUPAC name

Source

- amino-guanidinovalarate(Guani
donium group is present)

It is abundant
in highly
basic proteins
of the cell
nucleus
(histones)
and in Sperm
proteins.

, - diaminocaproate

It is present
in plant
proteins like
Corn and
Wheat.

F) HETEROCYCLIC AMINO ACID:

These amino acids have in their side chain a ring which possess at least one atom other
than the carbon. Eg:
Name of
the Amino
acid
Tryptophan
It was
discovered
in the
laboratory of
F.G.Hopkins

Histidine

Single
letter
symbol

Three
letter
symbol

IUPAC name

Trp

-amino-3indolepropionat
e (or)
indolylalanine

His

-amino-Imidazolepropio
nate

Source

Hemoglobin,
Protamines and
Histones

G) AROMATIC AMINO ACID:

These have a benzene ring in the side chain. Eg:

Name of the
Amino acid
Phenylalanine
TyrosineIsolated
from Cheese in
1857

Single
letter
symbol
F

H) IMINO ACID:

Three
letter
symbol

IUPAC name

Phe

-amino-phenylpropionate

Tyr

-amino--(phydroxy phenyl)
propionate

Source

Cheese

These are also heterocyclic compounds, which have imino group (-NH-) instead of
amino group (-NH2).

Name of the
Amino acid

Single
letter
symbo
l

Three
letter
symbo
l

IUPAC name

Source

2pyrrolidinecarboxyl
ate

Zein from Corn

and Gelatin

Proline

Phe

Hydroxy
Proline

Hy.Pro

C) CLASSIFICATION BASED ON THE NUTRITIONAL

REQUIREMENT:
Based on Nutritional requirement, amino acids can be divided into 3 types.
1.
2.
3.

Essential Amino acids (EAA)

Non-Essential Amino acids (NEAA)
Semi Essential Amino acids (SEAA)

1. ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (EAA):

Some of the amino acids doesnt synthesize in the human body. It should be supplied
through diet. They are required for proper growth and maintenance of the individual.
Eg:

MATT VIL PHLY

(OR)
PVT TIM HALL
M= Methionine A=Arginine T=Threonine T=Tryptophan V=Valine
I=Isoleucine L=Leucine P=Phenylalanine H=Histidine L=Lysine

2. NON-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS (NEAA):

The body can synthesize about 10 amino acids to meet the biological needs, hence they
need not be consumed in the diet.
Eg: Gly, Ala, Ser, Cys, Asp, Asn, Glu, Gln, Tyr and Pro.

3. SEMI-ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID:

Histidine and Arginine are semi essential amino acids. Growing children require them in
food. But they are not essential for the adult individual.

D) CLASSIFICATION BASED ON THE METABOLIC FATES

Amino acids can be classified based on the metabolic fate:
i) Purely ketogenic amino acids
ii) Ketogenic and Glucogenic amino acids

iii) Purely Glucogenic amino acids

I) PURELY KETOGENIC AMINO ACIDS:

Leucine is purely ketogenic because it is converted into ketone bodies.

II) KETOGENIC AND GLUCOGENIC AMINO ACIDS:

During metabolism, part of the carbon skeleton of these amino acids will enter the
ketogenic pathway and the other part to glucogenic pathway.
Eg: Lys, Ile, Phe, Tyr & Trp are partially ketogenic and partially glucogenic.

III) PURELY GLUCOGENIC AMINO ACIDS:

All the remaining 14 amino acids are purely glucogenic as they enter only into the
glucogenic pathway.