Glycine metabolism and glycine synthase activity during the postnatal development of rat brain.

Glycine synthase from rat brain mitochondria shows an apparent Km for glycine of 2.6 mM. Glycine synthase from rat brain homogenate has a maximum of activity at the 10th day of life. However, each area of the central nervous system shows a different developmental pattern of glycine synthase activity. Both the 14CO2 production from (U-14C)-glycine and the incorporation of the radioactivity from the (U-14C)-glycine to the acid-insoluble fraction by cortex slices has a developmental profile similar to the glycine synthase activity in this area, having a maximum on the 10th day.