Glycolysis and Pyruvate Dehydrogenase

ATP plays a central role in cellular maintenance both as a chemical for biosynthesis of macromolecules and as the major soirrce of energy for all cellular metabolism. ATP is utilized in numerous biochemical reactions including the eitric acid cycle, fatty acid oxidation, gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, and pyruvate dehydrogenase. ATP also drives ion transporters sueh as Ca -ATPase in the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membranes, H+-ATPase in the lysosomal membrane, and Na+/K+-ATPase in the plasma membrane. Chemieal energy (30.5 kJ/mol) is released by the hydrolysis of ATP to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). 

TABLE 16-1 Stoichiometry of Coenzyme Reduction and ATP Formation in the Aerobic Oxidation of Glucose via Glycolysis, the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Reaction, the Citric Acid Cycle, and Oxidative Phosphorylation... 

Acetyl-CoA is a potent allosteric effector of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. It allosterically inhibits pyruvate kinase (as noted in Chapter 19) and activates pyruvate carboxylase. Because it also allosterically inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase (the enzymatic link between glycolysis and the TCA cycle), the cellular fate of pyruvate is strongly dependent on acetyl-CoA levels. A rise in... 

Figure 5.3 Major control points of glycolysis and the TCA cycle. Enzymes I, hexokinase II, phosphofructokinase III, pyruvate kinase IV, pyruvate dehydrogenase V, citrate synthase VI, aconitase VII, isocitrate dehydrogenase VIII, a-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase.

In the brain, when ketones are metabolized to acetyl CoA, pyruvate dehydrogenase is inhibited. Glycolysis and subsequently glucose uptake in brain decreases. This important switch spares body protein (which otherwise would be catabolized to form glucose by gluconeogenesis in the liver) by allowing the brain to indirectly metabolize fetty acids as ketone bodies. 

Figure 6.1 Pathways involved in glucose oxidation by plant cells (a) glycolysis, (b) Krebs cycle, (c) mitochondrial cytochrome chain. Under anoxic conditions. Reactions 1, 2 and 3 of glycolysis are catalysed by lactate dehydrogenase, pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase, respectively. ATP and ADP, adenosine tri- and diphosphate NAD and NADHa, oxidized and reduced forms of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide PGA, phosphoglyceraldehyde PEP, phosphoenolpyruvate Acetyl-CoA, acetyl coenzyme A FP, flavoprotein cyt, cytochrome e, electron. (Modified from Fitter and Hay, 2002). Reprinted with permission from Elsevier...

We know that anaerobic glycolysis of glncose yields pyruvate and/or lactate, interconvertable metabolites. Pyruvate is converted into acetyl-SCoAin the following reaction, catalyzed by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex ... 

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