Chemistry Commons^™

Investigations Into Effects Of Modified Prolines On Cis-Trans Isomers And Polypeptide Secondary Structure & Prediction Of Spectroscopic Properties Of Phthalonitriles For Characterization, Jeffrey Raab

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Proline is a unique amino acid because it is the only amino acid whose side chain wraps around and bonds back to the peptide backbone. This ring shape helps proteins form conformations which would otherwise not be possible such as hairpin turns. The cis/trans isomerization of the peptide bond between the preceding amino acid (X_aa) and Proline is important in determining how the secondary structure folds. Thus, being able to control the cis/trans isomerization is important when a specific conformation is desired; Proline can be modified to get make the equilibrium shift whichever way is needed. The modifications …