Glutamic acid can be synthesized from α-ketoglutarate and ammonia. It is involved in synthesizing other amino acids like glutamine, proline, and arginine. Glutamic acid also plays a role in glutathione synthesis, blood clotting, and as a neurotransmitter when decarboxylated to GABA. Aspartic acid can be synthesized from oxaloacetate and broken down through transamination. It is important in urea, purine, and pyrimidine synthesis. Both glutamic acid and aspartic acid can be converted to their amide forms glutamine and asparagine through reactions with ammonia and ATP. Glutamine serves as a transport

5. Glutamic acid can be synthesized by following way…
Synthesis & breakdown of
Glutamic acid
Aspartate Oxaloacetate
H2O
+ α-Ketoglutarate + Glutamate
AST
PLP
α-Ketoglutarate + NH4
+
Glutamate
Glutamate DH

7. Number of other AAs are derived from
glutamate. E.g.
Glutamine, Proline, Arginine
It is involved in Glutathione synthesis.
N-Acetylglutamate is an allosteric regulator of
(CPS-I), the first enzyme in urea synthesis
Glutamate is present in the clotting factors (ll,
Vll, lX, X) as γ-carboxyglutamate" and is involved
in coagulation
Decarboxylation of glutamate gives GABA,
which serves as neurotransmitter.
Importance of Glutamic acid
CO
Glutamate GABAPLP

8. Importance of GABA
GABA is one of the major inhibitory
neurotransmitter in the brain.
It opens chloride channels and increases the
permeability of post-synaptic membranes.
GABA regulates the activity of neurons by
discouraging the transmission signals.
Decreased GABA levels will cause convulsions.

11. Synthesis & breakdown of Glutamine
α-Ketoglutarate
Glutamate NH4
+
Glutamine
NH4
+
ATP
ADP+Pi
Glutaminase
Glutamine
synthase

12. Ammonia is temporarily stored in the form of
glutamine
It is freely diffusible & hence transport form of
ammonia.
In kidney, it is principal source of ammonia.
It play important role in maintenance of acid-
base balance.
Glutamine participate in no. of biosynthetic
reaction….
Formation of Arginine
Purine
Pyrimidine
Amino sugar
Importance of Glutamine

15. Aspartic acid can be synthesized & breakdown by
following way…
Synthesis & breakdown of
Aspartic acid
Aspartate Oxaloacetate+ α-Ketoglutarate + Glutamate
AST
PLP

16. Importance of Aspartic acidUreasynthesis
aspartate reacts
with citrulline to
form
arginosuccinate,
which is cleaved,
forming an
essential amino
acid arginine and
fumarate.
Purinesynthesis
inosine
monophosphate
(IMP) to form
AMP
Pyrimidinesynthesis
Complete
molecule
involved in
pyrimidine
synthesis

19. Synthesis & breakdown of
Aspargine
Oxaloacetate
Aspartate NH4
+
Aspargine
Glutamine
ATP
AMP+2Pi
AsparginaseAspargine
synthetase
Glutamate H2O
Transamination

20. Clinical Importance of
Asparginase
Certain types of tumor cells, particularly
leukemic cells, require aspargine.
Therefore, asparginase has been used as
an antitumor agent.
It acts by converting aspargine to
aspartate, decreasing the amount of
aspargine available for tumor cell growth.