alanine

[ al-uh-neen, -nin ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. any of several isomers of a colorless, crystalline, water-soluble amino acid, CH 3 CH(NH 2 )COOH, found in many proteins and produced synthetically: used chiefly in biochemical research. : Ala; : A

alanine

/ ˈæləˌniːn; -ˌnaɪn /

noun

1. a nonessential aliphatic amino acid that occurs in many proteins

alanine

/ ăl′ə-nēn′ /

1. A nonessential amino acid. Chemical formula: C 3 H 7 NO 2 .
2. See more at amino acid

Word History and Origins

Origin of alanine¹

1860–65; al(dehyde) + -an- (arbitrarily inserted) + -ine ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of alanine¹

C19: from German Alanin, from al ( dehyde ) + -an- (euphonic infix) + -in -ine ²

Example Sentences

They devised tRNAs that actively ruin viral proteins by delivering the wrong amino acids—including proline and alanine—in response to outsiders’ serine codons.

From Science Magazine

At the top of the list: a slightly elevated level of the liver enzyme alanine aminotransferase, or ALT.

From Los Angeles Times

Nature has a palette of 20, with names like serine, leucine and alanine.

From BBC

The green rust reacted with the traces of oxygen that were left, which produced the amino acid alanine and the alpha hydroxy acid lactate.

From Fox News

And none of them puts alanine in that category.

From Science Magazine