Serine

From Citizendium
Revision as of 08:52, 8 June 2009 by imported>Caesar Schinas (Bot: Update image code)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This article is a stub and thus not approved.
Main Article
Discussion
Related Articles  [?]
Bibliography  [?]
External Links  [?]
Citable Version  [?]
 
This editable Main Article is under development and subject to a disclaimer.
(CC) Image: David E. Volk
Serine, one of the twenty common amino acids.

Serine, abbreviated as Ser or S, is one of the twenty common amino acids used by living organisms to build proteins. It is one of the smallest amino acids, being larger than only glycine and alanine. It is subject to phosphorylation by kinases because it is one of the three amino acids, together with threonine and tyrosine, that contain a hydroxyl group (OH) on the side chain. It can be thought of as -hydroxylated alanine. The amino acids glycine and cysteine are synthesized from serine.

biosynthesis

The first step in the biosynthesis of serine begins with the oxidation of the hydroxyl group of 3-phosphoglycerate by NAD+ to produce 3-phosphohydroxy pyruvate. This reaction is followed by a transamination reaction in which glutamate transfers an amine group, becoming -ketoglutarate in the process, to 3-phosphohydroxypyruvate. Finally, hydrolysis and removal of the phosphate group yields serine.

(CC) Image: David E. Volk
Biosynthesis of serine from 3-phosphoglycerate.