Uncommon amino acids
In addition to the 20 common amino acids, there are two non standard, or non-canonical amino acids found in nature, selenocysteine (Sec or U) present in many prokaryotes as well as most eukaryotes, and pyrrolysine (Pyl or O), found in some archaea and one bacterium. Pyrrolysine and selenocysteine are encoded by variant codons.
Uncommon amino acids also have three-letter codes and when in sequences may be represented by the one-letter symbol X, with an explanation accompanying it. The list below is the abbreviations for the uncommon amino acids used throughout our website and literature.
Three letter code Amino acid
Aad 2-Aminoadipic acid (2-aminohexanedioic acid)
Aan α-Asparagine
Abu 2-Aminobutanoic acid
Aca 2-Aminocapric acid (2-aminodecanoic acid)
Agn α-Glutamine
Aib α-Aminoisobutyric acid (α-methylalanine)
Apm 2-Aminopimelic acid (2-aminoheptanedioic acid)
App γ-Amino-β-hydroxybenzenepentanoic acid
Asu 2-Aminosuberic acid (2-aminooctanedioic acid)
Aze 2-Carboxyazetidine
Bal β-Alanine
Bas β-Aspartic acid
Bly 3,6-Diaminohexanoic acid (β-lysine)
Bua Butanoic acid
Bux 4-Amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid
Cap γ-Amino-β-hydroxycyclohexanepentanoic acid
Cha 3-Cyclohexylalanine
Cit N5-Aminocarbonylornithine
Cya 3-Sulfoalanine
Dab 2,4-Diaminobutanoic acid
Dap Diaminopropionic acid
Dpm Diaminopimelic acid
Dpr 2,3-Diaminopropanoic acid
Dsu 2,7-Diaminosuberic acid (2,7-diaminooctanedioic acid)
Edc S-Ethylthiocysteine
Ggu γ-Glutamic acid
Gla γ-Carboxyglutamic acid
Glc Hydroxyacetic acid (glycolic acid)
Glp Pyroglutamic acid
Har Homoarginine
Hcy Homocysteine
Hhs Homohistidine
Hiv 2-Hydroxyisovaleric acid
Hse Homoserine
Hva 2-Hydroxypentanoic acid
Hyl 5-Hydroxylysine
Hyp 4-Hydroxyproline
Igl α-Amino-2-indanacetic acid
Iva Isovaline
Lac 2-Hydroxypropanoic acid (lactic acid)
Maa Mercaptoacetic acid
Mba Mercaptobutanoic acid
Mhp 3-Hydroxy-4-methylproline
Mpa Mercaptopropanoic acid
Nal 3-Naphthylalanine
Nle Norleucine
Nphe N-Benzylglycine
Nty Nortyrosine
Nva Norvaline
Oaa ω-Amino acid
Oic 2-Carboxyoctahydroindole
Orn Ornithine
Pen Penicillamine (3-mercaptovaline)
Phg 2-Phenylglycine
Pip 2-Carboxypiperidine
Pyl Pyrrolysine
pSer Phospho-L-serine
pThr Phospho-L-threonine
pTyr Phospho-L-tyrosine
Sar Sarcosine (N-methylglycine)
Sec Selenocysteine
Spg 1-Amino-1-carboxycyclopentane
Sta Statin (4-amino-3-hydroxy-6-methylheptanoic acid)
Thi 3-Thienylalanine
Tic 3-Carboxyisoquinoline
Tle 3-Methylvaline
Tml ε-N-Trimethyllysine
Tza 3-Thiazolylalanine
Wil α-Amino-2,4-dioxopyrimidinepropanoic
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