α-AMINO-n-BUTYRIC ACID IN TRANSAMINATION

The transamination reaction between α-amino-n-butyric acid and α-keto-glutarate or pyruvate or oxaloacetate in the presence of homogenates of rat kidney, liver, heart, and skeletal muscle has been studied. Direct evidence is presented for transamination with α-ketoglutarate in the presence of the first three tissues and with pyruvate in the presence of kidney and liver. Appreciable amounts of alanine are formed in the course of transamination with oxaloacetate. Of the four tissues the liver appears to be quantitatively the most important by virtue of its mass and relatively high specific transaminase activity.