Norvaline is an amino acid

Amino acid

Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side-chain that varies between different amino acids. The key elements of an amino acid are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen...

 with the chemical formula C₅H₁₁NO₂, isomeric with valine

Valine

Valine is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula HO2CCHCH2. L-Valine is one of 20 proteinogenic amino acids. Its codons are GUU, GUC, GUA, and GUG. This essential amino acid is classified as nonpolar...

. This amino acid is often made synthetically.

Background

Norvaline is a non-protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

ogenic branched-chain amino acid. It has previously been reported to be a natural component of an antifungal peptide of Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis

Bacillus subtilis, known also as the hay bacillus or grass bacillus, is a Gram-positive, catalase-positive bacterium commonly found in soil. A member of the genus Bacillus, B. subtilis is rod-shaped, and has the ability to form a tough, protective endospore, allowing the organism to tolerate...

. Norvaline and other modified branched chain amino acids have received attention in recent studies, as they appear to be incorporated in some recombinant proteins found in E. coli.

Norvaline is known to promote tissue regeneration and muscle growth, and to become a precursor in the penicillin biosynthetic pathway.