General aromatic amino acid transaminase involved in several otherwise unrelated metabolic pathways. Mainly involved in tryptophan degradation. Active with phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan as amino donors and with phenylpyruvate, hydroxyphenylpyruvate and pyruvate as amino acceptors. Does not accept glutamate or 2-oxoglutarate as substrates. Also active with methionine, leucine, glutamine and kynurenine. Catalyzes the formation of methionine from 2-keto-4-methylthiobutyrate (KMTB) in the methionine salvage pathway primarily using aromatic amino acids (tyrosine, phenylalanine and tryptophan) as the amino donors. Catalyzes the irreversible transamination of the L-tryptophan metabolite L-kynurenine to form kynurenic acid (KA) with pyruvate as amino acceptor. 2-oxoglutarate + an aromatic L-alpha-amino acid = an aromatic oxo-acid + L-glutamate 4-methylsulfanyl-2-oxobutanoate + an aromatic L-alpha-amino acid = an aromatic oxo-acid + L-methionine 2-oxoglutarate + L-kynurenine = H2O + kynurenate + L-glutamate Amino-acid biosynthesis; L-methionine biosynthesis via salvage pathway; L-methionine from S-methyl-5-thio-alpha-D-ribose 1-phosphate: step 6/6. Amino-acid degradation; L-kynurenine degradation; kynurenate from L-kynurenine: step 1/2. By aromatic amino acids in the growth medium. Expression also induced in ARO8 mutants grown on minimal ammonia medium. Present with 7700 molecules/cell in log phase SD medium. Belongs to the class-I pyridoxal-phosphate-dependent aminotransferase family.