Question

Using curved arrows, propose a mechanism for the following reaction, one of the steps in the metabolism of the amino acid alanine.

Short answer

You need to propose a mechanism for the given reaction.

Step-by-step solution

Mechanism of the reaction

The mechanism of the given reaction using curved arrows is

Explanation of the mechanism

The starting material has one hydrogen on the carbon to the carboxylate ion. The abstraction of this proton shifts the electron flow towards the positively charged nitrogen. This helps the nitrogen to neutralize and gives the desired product.