Cterminales
Cterminales are the C-termini of polypeptide chains, the carboxyl-terminal ends of proteins. In molecular biology, the term is used to discuss structural features, processing, and functional motifs located at the protein end opposite the N-terminus. The C-terminus is defined by the last amino acid residue and bears a free carboxyl group that can participate in chemical modification or proteolytic processing. The composition and length of the C-terminus can influence protein folding, stability, and interactions, and specific sequences act as signals for localization, degradation, or maturation. For example, some peroxisomal targeting signals are located at the C-terminus (such as the SKL tripeptide in certain organisms). In other cases, the C-terminus is a site of post-translational modification, including C-terminal amidation in neuropeptides, which converts a terminal carboxyl group into an amide, and processing events that generate mature peptides from larger precursors.
In research and biotechnology, C-terminal tagging is a common strategy to study protein localization, purification, or
See also: N-terminus, C-terminus, C-terminal tags, C-terminalomics, proteomics.