Amino Acids - Valine

The Biology Project > Biochemistry > The Chemistry of Amino Acids

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Valine V (Val)

Chemical Properties:
    Aliphatic
(Aliphatic R-group)

Physical Properties:
   Nonpolar

Valine, an essential amino acid, is hydrophobic, and as expected, is usually found in the interior of proteins.

Valine differs from threonine by replacement of the hydroxyl group with a methyl substituent. Valine is often referred to as one of the amino acids with hydrocarbon side chains, or as a branched chain amino acid.

Note that valine and threonine are of roughly the same shape and volume. It is difficult even in a high resolution structure of a protein to distinguish valine from threonine.



Differs from threonine

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The Biology Project > Biochemistry > The Chemistry of Amino Acids

The Biology Project
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
University of Arizona
August 25, 2003
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Chemical Properties: Aliphatic (Aliphatic R-group)	Physical Properties: Nonpolar
Valine, an essential amino acid, is hydrophobic, and as expected, is usually found in the interior of proteins. Valine differs from threonine by replacement of the hydroxyl group with a methyl substituent. Valine is often referred to as one of the amino acids with hydrocarbon side chains, or as a branched chain amino acid. Note that valine and threonine are of roughly the same shape and volume. It is difficult even in a high resolution structure of a protein to distinguish valine from threonine.

Differs from threonine

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