Home Technical Information Amino Acids Glutamine
Glutamine, denoted by the symbol Gln or Q, is an α-amino acid that is involved in protein biosynthesis. Its side chain closely resembles that of glutamic acid, with the distinction that the carboxylic acid group is replaced by an amide group. Among free amino acids in human blood, glutamine holds the distinction of being the most abundant. It is also the most abundant naturally occurring, nonessential amino acid in the human body and one of the few amino acids capable of directly crossing the blood-brain barrier. In circumstances where tissue is being constructed or repaired, such as during the growth of infants or the healing process following wounds or severe illness, glutamine becomes conditionally essential. Glutamine serves various biochemical functions, including: Regulation of acid-base balance in the kidney through the production of ammonium. Donation of nitrogen for numerous anabolic processes, including purine synthesis and acting as a nontoxic transporter of ammonia within the bloodstream. Glutamine is encoded by the codons CAA and CAG.
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CAS Number | 56-85-9 |
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Polar amino acids, including |
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