Aspartic acid

Aspartic acid
Chemical name	(S)-Aminobutanedioic acid
Abbreviations	Asp D
Chemical formula	C4H7NO4
Molecular mass	133.10 g mol-1
Melting point	270-271 °C
Density	1.66 g/cm3
Isoelectric point	2.77
pKa	1.95 3.71 9.66
CAS number	[56-84-8]
EINECS number	200-291-6
SMILES	OC(=O)CC(N)C(=O)O

Aspartic acid (Asp), also known as aspartate, the name of its anion, is one of the 20 natural proteinogenic amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins.

A three-letter designation for either Asn or Asp is Asx (one-letter abbreviation: B).^[1]

As its name indicates, it is the carboxylic acid analog of Asn. It is non-essential in mammals, and might serve as an excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain. It is also a metabolite in the urea cycle, and participates in gluconeogenesis.

This neurotransmitter may provide resistance to fatigue and thus lead to possessing more endurance, although the evidence to support this idea is not strong.

Notes and references

1. ^  IUPAC-IUBMB Joint Commission on Biochemical Nomenclature. Nomenclature and Symbolism for Amino Acids and Peptides. Recommendations on Organic & Biochemical Nomenclature, Symbols & Terminology etc.. Accessed on September 28, 2005.

See also

• Aspartate transaminase
• the synthetic polyamide sodium poly(aspartate)