Phenylalanine

Phenylalanine (abbreviated as Phe or F) is an α-amino acid with the formula C₆H₅CH₂CH(NH₂)COOH. This essential amino acid is classified as nonpolar because of the hydrophobic nature of the benzyl side chain. -Phenylalanine (LPA) is an electrically neutral amino acid, one of the twenty common amino acids used to biochemically form proteins, coded for by DNA. The codons for -phenylalanine are UUU and UUC. Phenylalanine is a precursor for tyrosine, the monoamine signaling molecules dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline), and the skin pigment melanin.