Merck, A0550-5G, Ala-Gln

Application
L-Glutamine is an essential supplement for cell culture. The free amino acid L-glutamine is unstable and degrades to pyroglutamate. Alanyl-L-glutamine (Ala-Gln) and Gylcyl-L-glutamine (Gly-Gln) are used in cell culture as alternative delivery forms of stabilized L-glutamine. The primary advantage of using L-alanylglutamine in place of L-glutamine is that it reduces the level of ammonia generated during cell culture.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Alanyl-glutamine is a widely used alternative supplement to L-glutamine in the production of biopharmaceuticals. Alanyl-glutamine also acts as an antioxidant (peroxide) and anti-apoptosis (LPS-induced) factor. Ala-Gln has been used in studies on injury and sepsis, and on the effects of irradiation on leucine and protein metabolism in vivo. Ala-Gln has been utilized to investigate polymorphonuclear leucocyte and myeloperoxidase activity in vitro.