nutrient
Alanine
An amino acid that links nitrogen handling with pyruvate metabolism.
Alanine can carry amino nitrogen between tissues while its carbon portion enters central energy pathways.
A nitrogen and carbon carrier
Alanine can be made from pyruvate by transamination, a reversible reaction that swaps an amino group between molecules. Removing the amino group returns its carbon portion to pyruvate.
Related topics
Alanine is used to build Protein
Alanine is one of the amino acids used to assemble proteins.
Worth knowing
It can form pyruvate. After nitrogen is removed, alanine can form pyruvate, a starting material for making glucose.
Synthesis makes it non-essential. Human cells can make alanine from pyruvate by transamination.
A closer look
The reaction runs both ways
Tissues can convert pyruvate to alanine when nitrogen needs carrying, or alanine back to pyruvate when carbon is needed.
Transamination is reversible
The direction of alanine and pyruvate exchange depends on tissue, nitrogen availability and metabolic state.
References
Source-checked local draft.
Human editorial review pending.
- NIH National Library of MedicineBiochemistry, Essential Amino AcidsChecked 2026-09-05
- NIH National Library of MedicineBiochemistry, Protein CatabolismChecked 2026-09-05