Alanine - Definition and Overview

Chemical structure

Alanine is one of the 20 most common natural amino acids. It is hydrophobic, with a methyl group side chain, and is the second-smallest of the 20 after glycine. Alanine is a non-essential amino acid and was first isolated in 1879.

L-Alanine is created in muscle cells from glutamate in a process called transamination. In the liver, alanine is transformed into pyruvate. Further, alanine aminotransferase catalyzes the reaction by which the amino group of alanine is transferred to α-ketoglutarate.