Amino Acid Codes
A comprehensive guide to one-letter and three-letter amino acid codes.
Amino Acid Letter Codes
| Amino Acid | Three Letter Code | Single Letter Code | RNA Codons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alanine | Ala | A | GCU GCC GCA GCG |
| Arginine | Arg | R | CGU CGC CGA CGG AGA AGG |
| Asparagine | Asn | N | AAU AAC |
| Aspartic Acid | Asp | D | GAU GAC |
| Cysteine | Cys | C | UGU UGC |
| Glutamic Acid | Glu | E | GAA GAG |
| Glutamine | Gln | Q | CAA CAG |
| Glycine | Gly | G | GGU GGC GGA GGG |
| Histidine | His | H | CAU CAC |
| Isoleucine | Ile | I | AUU AUC AUA |
| Leucine | Leu | L | UUA UUG CUU CUC CUA CUG |
| Lysine | Lys | K | AAA AAG |
| Methionine | Met | M | AUG |
| Phenylalanine | Phe | F | UUU UUC |
| Proline | Pro | P | CCU CCC CCA CCG |
| Serine | Ser | S | UCU UCC UCA UCG AGU AGC |
| Threonine | Thr | T | ACU ACC ACA ACG |
| Tryptophan | Trp | W | UGG |
| Tyrosine | Tyr | Y | UAU UAC |
| Valine | Val | V | GUU GUC GUA GUG |
What Are Amino Acid Codes?
Amino acid codes are abbreviations used to represent the 20 standard amino acids that make up proteins. These codes are essential for bioinformatics and molecular biology.
There are two common types of codes: the single-letter code and the three-letter code. The single-letter code is more compact and is often used in sequence alignments.
The three-letter code is less ambiguous and is often used in publications and databases.
Why Are They Important?
Amino acid codes provide a shorthand for representing protein sequences, making it easier to store, analyze, and share protein information.
They are fundamental to understanding protein structure and function, and are widely used in bioinformatics software and databases.
Understanding these codes is crucial for anyone working in genetics, molecular biology, or biochemistry.
How to Use This Tool
You can use the search bar to find a specific amino acid by its name, single-letter code, or three-letter code.
You can also filter the amino acids by their biochemical properties using the category filter.
Click on an amino acid to view more detailed information, including its structure and properties.
Amino Acid Classification
Amino acids can be classified by physicochemical properties such as polarity, charge, aromaticity, and sulfur content.
Common categories include nonpolar (hydrophobic), polar (hydrophilic), acidic, basic, aromatic, and sulfur-containing amino acids.
These classifications help explain protein folding, stability, and function, and are useful when analyzing sequence properties.