Disodium alpha-ketoglutarate, CAS 305-72-6

Disodium 2-oxoglutarate (also known as disodium alpha-ketoglutarate, disodium oxopetanedioate) is a is an essential Krebs cycle metabolite which participates in a variety of biological processes including anti-oxidative defense, energy production, signaling modules, and genetic engineering. This keto-acid possesses immense commercial value as it is utilized as a precursor to a variety of value-added products such as ethylene and heterocyclic compounds. The 2-oxoglutarate moiety has been suggested to play a role as a signal metabolite in plant cellular metabolic processes. Chemically, ketoglutarate is also a precursor for making glutamate and can be used as an internal standard or biomarker. Functionally, the ketoglutarate moiety is involved in transamination reactions during the metabolism of amino acids where it forms glutamic acid by combining with ammonia and reduces nitrogen by combining with it as well.