Editing Transamination (section)

{{Short description|Chemical reaction that transfers an amino group to a ketoacid}}
[[File:Transaminierung.svg|thumb|right|300px|Aminotransfer reaction between an [[amino acid]] and an alpha-keto acid]]

'''Transamination''' is a chemical reaction that transfers an [[amino group]] to a [[ketoacid]] to form new amino acids.This pathway is responsible for the deamination of most amino acids. This is one of the major degradation pathways which convert [[essential amino acids]] to [[non-essential amino acid]]s (amino acids that can be synthesized de novo by the organism).

Transamination in biochemistry is accomplished by enzymes called [[transaminase]]s or aminotransferases. [[α-ketoglutarate]] acts as the predominant amino-group acceptor and produces [[glutamate]] as the new amino acid.

:[[Amino acid|Aminoacid]]  + α-ketoglutarate ↔ α-keto acid  + [[Glutamic acid|glutamate]]

Glutamate's amino group, in turn, is transferred to oxaloacetate in a second transamination reaction yielding aspartate.

:[[Glutamic acid|Glutamate]]  +  oxaloacetate  ↔  α-ketoglutarate + [[aspartate]]