Classification of Amino Acid

Kamlesh Sahu
Classification - Amino acid classification according to reactive group or R group
1. Aliphatic - Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine
2. Aromatic - Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Tryptophan
3. OH- - Serine, Threonine
4. Acidic - Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid
5. Acid amide - Aspargine, Glutamine
6. Basic - Arginine, Lysine, Histidine
7. Sulphur - Cystine, Methionine
8. Cyclic - Proline
take the front letters of amino acid names
1. Aliphatic - GAVLI
2. Aromatic - Phe, Ty, Try
3. OH- - ST
4. Acidic - Asp, Glu
5. Acid amide - Aspargine, Glutamine
6. Basic - Arg, Lys, His
7. Sulphur - CM
8. Cyclic - P
If you remember one letter code of amino acid than
1. Aliphatic - GAVLI
2. Aromatic - FYW
3. OH- - ST
4. Acidic - DE
5. Acid amide - NQ
6. Basic - RKH
7. Sulphur - CM
8. Cyclic - P
Symbolic representation after reduction of letters
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Ali
Aro
OH
COOH
CONH2
NH2
S
Cyclic

GAVLI
FYW
ST
DE
NQ
RKH
CM
P

Classification - Dependent in the property of R group

1. Non polar or Hydrophobic - Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Proline
2. Polar uncharged - Phenylalanine, Tryptophane, Tyrosine
3. Polar charged - Serine, Threonine (OH-), Cystine, Methionine (sulphur), Aspargine, Glutamine (acid amide)
4. Positively charged - Aspartic Acid, Glutamic Acid
5. Negatively charged - Arginine, Lysine, Histidine

Dependent in R group (Symbolic)

1. Non polar or Hydrophobic - GAVLIP
2. Polar uncharged - FWY
3. Polar charged - ST (OH-), CM (S), NQ (acid amide)
4. (+) charged - DE
5. (-) charged - RKH
Classification - dependent according to polarity of R group.
Amino acid can be divided into the above 3 groups (non-polar, flexible and polar) and then subdivided by their chemical character.
Non-Polar -- 8 Amino Acids
Hydrocarbon
Ala Val Leu Ile Pro
Aromatic
Phe Trp
Thiol Ether
Met
Flexible -- 1 Amino Acids
Gly -- flexible because it has no side chain
Polar -- 11 Amino Acids
Alcohol
Ser Thr Tyr
Thiol
Cys
Amides
Asn Gln
Acids
Asp Glu
Bases
Lys Arg His