Proline (Pro)

Proline is an α-amino acid, one of the twenty DNA-encoded amino acids. It is not an essential amino acid, which means that the human body can synthesize it. It is unique among the 20 protein-forming amino acids in that the α-amino group is secondary. The more common L form has S stereochemistry. Proline is one of the two amino acids that do not follow along with the typical Ramachandran plot, along with glycine. Due to the ring formation connected to the Beta-carbon, the ψ and φ angles about the peptide bond have less allowable degrees of rotation. As a result it is often found in "turns" of proteins as its free entropy is not as comparatively large to other amino acids and thus in a folded form vs. unfolded form, the change in entropy is less. Furthermore, proline is rarely found in α and β structures as it would reduce the stability of such structures, due to the fact that its side chain α-N can only form one hydrogen bond.