glutamate dehydrogenase

Last reviewed 01/2018

Glutamate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that interconverts glutamate into 2-oxoglutarate and vice-versa. The forward reaction converts NAD or NADP to NADH or NADPH. It also uses water and forms an ammonium ion and a proton.

The forward reaction is one example of oxidative deamination to interconvert an amino acid into a carbohydrate intermediate. Because the enzyme is near-equilibrium, the opposite reaction can occur if there is a reversal of the concentration gradient; this is termed transdeamination.