Explanation

Once the glutamic acid is synthesised by reductive amination, other amino acids are synthesised by the transfer of its amino group to other carbon skeletons. Therefore, glutamic acid is used as a starting material for the synthesis of other amino acids. Such a transfer of amino group $( - NH_{2})$ from an amino donor compound to the carbonyl position $( = CO)$ of an amino acceptor compound is called transamination [image:12_image15.emf]