Glutamate

Route: α-KG → Glutamate

Glutamate dehydrogenase adds ammonium to the keto group of α-ketoglutarate, a Krebs cycle compound, and reduces the product with NAD(P)H. This is how inorganic nitrogen enters amino acids. Most other amino acids then get their nitrogen from glutamate by transamination. The reaction runs in both directions; this enzyme can use NAD⁺ or NADP⁺, at least in some species, and in mitochondria it often runs toward α-ketoglutarate, releasing ammonium for the urea cycle. Many organisms also make glutamate with glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase, especially when ammonium is limiting, which was left out here.

Practice this pathway All pathways

Steps

Enzyme names and EC numbers are those used on the interactive board. Checked against sources: see the claim table in the repository (tools/pathway_data/checks).