Abstract #2545

Li S, Yang J, Bacher J, Innis R, Shen J, Chen Z

Aspartate aminotransferase is an enzyme catalyzing the transfer of amino group between aspartate and glutamate. Recently, the in vivo carbon-13 magnetization transfer (CMT)effect due to this reaction has been found in the rat brain at 11.7 Tesla by saturating the carbonyl carbon of &[alpha]-ketoglutarate or oxaloacetate. In this study, the in vivo CMT effect caused by aspartate aminotransferase-catalyzed rapid exchange between &[alpha]-ketoglutarate and glutamate was further validated in rhesus monkey brain at 4.7 Tesla. In particular, the CMT effect was observed for the first time in the carboxylic carbon region by saturating the carboxylic carbon of &[alpha]- ketoglutarate (C-1).