Why "alanine" scanning?

[The Kindly One]

In article <625n3p$8a6 at panix.com>, Ian A. York <iayork at panix.com> wrote:
>My boss just asked me this, and I didn't have a very satisfactory answer: 
>Why, when doing alanine scanning, does one change to alanine instead of
>glycine?  I understand that alanine is sort of a generic, unexciting, Joe
>Amino Acid; but why isn't glycine just as bland, boring, and unexciting?
>
I've been under the impression(don't know where I learned this) that
"alanine scanning" is especially useful for helix motifs because
it has a high intrinsic alpha helix capability. This way the structure
isn't disrupted too much or at all!!!

sdm

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** Scott D. McCulloch(Bunny Lover)	| If we knew what we were doing,
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** BioChemical Effects Research		| research, now would it?
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