Glutamate family

Amino Acid Biosynthesis Aromatic amino acid family Aspartate family Glutamate family Pyruvate family Serine family Histidine family Other... 

Non-essential amino acids are those that arise by transamination from 2-oxoacids in the intermediary metabolism. These belong to the glutamate family (Glu, Gin, Pro, Arg, derived from 2-oxoglutarate), the aspartate family (only Asp and Asn in this group, derived from oxaloacetate), and alanine, which can be formed by transamination from pyruvate. The amino acids in the serine family (Ser, Gly, Cys) and histidine, which arise from intermediates of glycolysis, can also be synthesized by the human body. 

The Glutamate Family of Amino Acids and Nitrogen Fixation... 

Glutamate serves as the starting material for the synthesis of glutamine, proline, and arginine (see fig. 21.1). Appropriately, these four amino acids are described as belonging to the glutamate family. In fungi, lysine is also included in this family (see fig. 21.1). 

The glutamate family of transaminases is very important because the ketoacid corresponding to glutamate is a-ketoglutarate, one of the citric acid cycle intermediates. This provides a link between the citric acid cycle and amino acid metabolism. These transaminases provide amino groups for amino acid synthesis and collect amino groups during catabolism of amino acids. 

Figure 19. Biosynthetic pathways for amino acids in that glutamate family. Abbreviations as in Figure 18. The reactant formed from bicarbonate and used in the production of citmlline is carbamoyl phosphate.

While the NMDA antagonists commercially available have not been extremely effective, the antagonism of glutamate is likely to play an important role in the neuropathic elements of this condition. Newer agents targeted at several receptors in the glutamate family... 

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