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Definition of Transaminase biochemistry
Medically reviewed by Dr. Otari Nergadze, Neurosurgeon | Updated: January 2026
Transaminase biochemistry: The transaminases are enzymes that catalyze chemical reactions in the body in which an amino group is transferred from a donor molecule to a recipient molecule. Hence, the name "transferase" can be applied to the transaminases because these enzymes facilitate a molecular transfer, specifically, of an amino group. The donor molecule is usually an amino acid while the recipient is an alpha-2 keto acid. (For example, a transaminase named "aspartate amino transferase" catalyses the reaction: aspartate + ketoglutarate = oxaloacetate + glutamate).