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Article: Peptide Bond
- Article from:
- Chemistry: Foundations and Applications
- Author:
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Peptide Bond
A peptide bond is a linkage between the building blocks of proteins called amino acids (shorter strings of linked amino acids are known as peptides). A peptide bond forms when the
carboxylic acid
group (R-C[O]OH) of one amino acid reacts with the amine group (R-NH
2
) of another. The resulting molecule is an amide with a C
–
N bond (R-C(O)-NH-R).
While drawn as a single bond, the peptide bond has partial double bond character that enforces a well-defined flat structure. The O atom of the amide has a partial negative charge and is a good
hydrogen bond
acceptor, while the NH is partially positive and a good hydrogen bond donor. Hydrogen bonds between amides ...