Glutamic acid

Glutamic acid is a non essential amino acid. The salts derived from glutamic acid are called glutamines, sometimes even called glutamates.

Metabolism of glutamic acid
Glutamates play a key role in amino acid metabolism. It participates in transamination, glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamine synthetase, glutaminase reaction and others.

The basic reaction serving synthesis and degradation is transamination, when the product or source is α-ketoglutarate.

Glutamine is a source for the synthesis of glutathione and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an important inhibitory mediator in the CNS.

Related articles

 * Amino acids