Glycine transaminase () is an enzyme characterised from liver that catalyzes a reversible chemical reaction to interconvert glycine and α-ketoglutaric acid with glycolic acid and L-glutamic acid:
Although reversible, the reaction strongly favours the synthesis of glycine.Textbook of Biochemistry for Medical Students, by DM Vasudevan, Sreekumari S, Kannan Vaidyanathan, 9th edition, page 283. This enzyme is a transferase, specifically the transaminases, which transfer nitrogenous groups. The systematic name of this enzyme class is glycine:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase. Other names in common use include glutamic-glyoxylic transaminase, glycine aminotransferase, glyoxylate-glutamic transaminase, L-glutamate:glyoxylate aminotransferase, and glyoxylate-glutamate aminotransferase. It employs one cofactor, pyridoxal phosphate.
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