L-alanine is a non-essential amino acid required for protein biosynthesis. It can be produced in the cytosol or mitochondria from pyruvate and L-glutamate by Alat. The same enzyme can catalyse the reverse reaction producing L-glutamate and pyruvate. The latter can be converted to acetyl-CoA, an intermediate of the tricarboxylic (TCA) or used for gluconeogenesis. (Adapted from PMID:33795250.)