Multifarious Beneficial Effect of Nonessential Amino Acid, Glycine: A Review

Functions and metabolic fate. Glycine has multiple roles in many reactions such as gluconeogenesis, purine, haem, and chlorophyll synthesis and bile acid conjugation. Glycine is also used in the formation of many biologically important molecules. The sarcosine component of creatine is derived from glycine and S-adenosylmethionine. The nitrogen and α-carbon of the pyrrole rings and the methylene bridge carbons of haem are derived from glycine. The entire glycine molecule becomes atoms 4, 5, and 7 or purines.