L-methionyl-L-alanine: a dipeptide with hexagonal symmetry and Z' = 7.

Abstract

The crystal structure of L-methionyl-L-alanine, C(8)H(16)N(2)O(3)S, is very similar to that of L-valyl-L-alanine [Görbitz & Gundersen (1996). Acta Cryst. C52, 1764-1767] and other related dipeptides in space group P6(1), but there are seven molecules in the asymmetric unit. The Z value of 42 is the highest ever observed for a chiral molecule.