Asked by Raj
What kind of isomers can amino acids form? Which isomer is present in most living organisms?
don't major compounds of living organisms consist of modifications of hydrocarbons
Although D amino acids can be found in nature, only the L isomers are used to form proteins. The D isomers are most often found attached to the cell walls of bacteria and in antibiotics that attack bacteria. The presence of these D isomers protects the bacteria from enzymes the host organism uses to protect itself from bacterial infection by hydrolyzing the proteins in the bacterial cell wall.
Source:
http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/1biochem/amino2.html
don't major compounds of living organisms consist of modifications of hydrocarbons
Although D amino acids can be found in nature, only the L isomers are used to form proteins. The D isomers are most often found attached to the cell walls of bacteria and in antibiotics that attack bacteria. The presence of these D isomers protects the bacteria from enzymes the host organism uses to protect itself from bacterial infection by hydrolyzing the proteins in the bacterial cell wall.
Source:
http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/1biochem/amino2.html