Principles of Biochemistry, Volume 2 - A. Lehninger 1985

Bioenergetics and Metabolism
Biosynthesis of Amino Acids and Nucleotides
Alanine, aspartate, and asparagine are also synthesized from central metabolites

In most organisms, two nonessential Amino Acids—Alanine and aspartate—are formed by Transamination from Pyruvate and oxaloacetate, respectively:

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In many Bacteria, aspartate serves as the direct precursor of asparagine in a reaction catalyzed by asparagine synthetase (a reaction analogous to the Glutamine Synthetase reaction):

However, mammalian Tissues utilize a different pathway for asparagine synthesis: here, an ATP-dependent asparagine synthetase transfers the amide amino group of glutamine to the ß-carboxyl group of aspartate (Fig. 22-3)

Fig. 22-3. Formation of asparagine from aspartate in animal tissues. In many bacteria, asparagine is synthesized via a different pathway (see text).



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