C terminal

C-terminal or carboxyl-terminal is the end of an amino acid chain, terminated by a free carboxyl group (-COOH). The convention for writing peptide sequences is to put the C-terminal end on the right and write the sequence from N- to C-terminus.

Structure and Function

The C-terminal is a crucial part of a protein's structure and function. It plays a significant role in the protein folding, stability, and function. The C-terminal can undergo post-translational modifications, such as the addition of a phosphoryl group or a glycosyl group. These modifications can alter the protein's function, localization, or interaction with other proteins.

C-terminal Tags

In molecular biology, the C-terminal is often used as a tag in a protein tagging system. This allows for the purification or detection of the protein of interest. Common C-terminal tags include His-tag, FLAG-tag, and HA-tag.

C-terminal Sequencing

C-terminal sequencing is a method used to determine the sequence of amino acids in a protein or peptide starting from the C-terminal end. This is often done using a method called Edman degradation, although other methods such as mass spectrometry can also be used.

See Also

• N-terminal
• Peptide sequence
• Protein structure
• Post-translational modification