title: How nature deals with stereoisomers.
abstract: All natural proteins are composed of L-amino acids and are inherently chiral. The properties of both L- and chemically synthesized D-amino acids are identical except in optically asymmetric interactions. Structural studies of D-I racemic mixtures of crystallographic interest are discussed. The review also gives some recent examples of stereospecificity: how L-proteins deal with L- or D-substrates and how enzymes can function as racemases. Two particular examples of stereoselectivity are then discussed.
authors: European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg, Germany.
authors: V S
authors: VS
authors: Lamzin
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Dauter
authors: K S
authors: KS
authors: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D019998:Racemases and Epimerases / Q000378:metabolism; D013237:Stereoisomerism
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D008049:Lipase; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; D019998:Racemases and Epimerases