Glutamic acid, catabolism

The reaction involves formation of an imine through reaction of ammonia with the ketone, followed by reduction of this imine (see Section 7.7.1). As we noted earlier (see Section 15.1.1), nicotinamide coenzymes may also participate in imine reductions as well as aldehyde/ketone reductions, further emphasizing the imine-carbonyl analogy (see Section 7.7.1). The reverse reaction, removal of ammonia from glutamate, is also of importance in amino acid catabolism. 

Glutamate synthase is not present in animals, which, instead, maintain high levels of glutamate by processes such as the transamination of a-ketoglutarate during amino acid catabolism. 

Free amino acids are further catabolized into several volatile flavor compounds. However, the pathways involved are not fully known. A detailed summary of the various studies on the role of the catabolism of amino acids in cheese flavor development was published by Curtin and McSweeney (2004). Two major pathways have been suggested (1) aminotransferase or lyase activity and (2) deamination or decarboxylation. Aminotransferase activity results in the formation of a-ketoacids and glutamic acid. The a-ketoacids are further degraded to flavor compounds such as hydroxy acids, aldehydes, and carboxylic acids. a-Ketoacids from methionine, branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine), or aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) serve as the precursors to volatile flavor compounds (Yvon and Rijnen, 2001). Volatile sulfur compounds are primarily formed from methionine. Methanethiol, which at low concentrations, contributes to the characteristic flavor of Cheddar cheese, is formed from the catabolism of methionine (Curtin and McSweeney, 2004 Weimer et al., 1999). Furthermore, bacterial lyases also metabolize methionine to a-ketobutyrate, methanethiol, and ammonia (Tanaka et al., 1985). On catabolism by aminotransferase, aromatic amino acids yield volatile flavor compounds such as benzalde-hyde, phenylacetate, phenylethanol, phenyllactate, etc. Deamination reactions also result in a-ketoacids and ammonia, which add to the flavor of... 

Glutamic acid, 19 catabolism, 428 chemical structure, 20 plasma conocntraticin, 465 solubility, 2)6 Glutaminase, 441, 443 Glutamine, 19... 

The BCAA (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) form a significant portion of the composition of the average protein and can be converted to tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates and used as fuels by almost all tissues. They are also the major precursors of glutamine. Except for the BCAA and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate, the catabolism of amino acids occurs principally in the liver. 

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