Alanine structural classification

Classification of amino acids into biosynthetic families emphasizes the common origin of related metabolites and is conceptually useful in delineating regulatory relationships. Lysine, threonine, methionine, and isoleucine comprise a family of amino acids originating with aspartate. However, isoleucine is also structurally and metabolically related to the branched-chain amino acids, leucine and valine. The latter two amino acids, along with alanine, are members of the pyruvate family. The common metabolic pre-... 

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