---
title: "Alanine: research glossary | Sable Peptides"
description: "Alanine (three-letter code Ala, one-letter code A) is a small amino acid with a methyl side chain. It is non-polar, has a high propensity to form alpha-hel"
canonical: https://www.sablepeptides.co.uk/glossary/alanine
publisher: Sable Peptides Limited (UK company 17488610)
note: Research use only. Not for human or veterinary use.
---

Glossary

# Alanine

Alanine (three-letter code Ala, one-letter code A) is a small amino acid with a methyl side chain. It is non-polar, has a high propensity to form alpha-helices and is often used in alanine scanning, in which residues are systematically replaced by alanine to identify those important for activity.

Source: [en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alanine)

## Related terms

-   [Amino acid](/glossary/amino-acid)
-   [One-letter code](/glossary/one-letter-code)

[Back to glossary A–Z](/glossary/terms)

All Sable Peptides products are supplied for laboratory research use only. Not for consumption.