L-Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid

L-Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (Aze) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid derivative of L-proline that has been found in C. majalis and has diverse biological activities. It is widely used in biochemical and molecular biology research. It is incorporated into proteins in place of proline, inducing conformational changes that help study protein folding, stability, and misfolding-related diseases. Aze is also used as a versatile building block in the synthesis of constrained peptides and peptidomimetics, making it valuable for probing structure-function relationships and designing bioactive molecules. L-Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid is an inhibitor of collagen synthesis that is anti-angiogenic. It destabilizes the collagen triple helix and reduces the extracellular localization of collagen. It is toxic to a variety of bacteria and can induce cell death through both apoptotic and necrotic cell death in mammalian cells.