Transamination inner

The second electron shuttle system, called the malate-aspartate shuttle, is shown in Figure 21.34. Oxaloacetate is reduced in the cytosol, acquiring the electrons of NADH (which is oxidized to NAD ). Malate is transported across the inner membrane, where it is reoxidized by malate dehydrogenase, converting NAD to NADH in the matrix. This mitochondrial NADH readily enters the electron transport chain. The oxaloacetate produced in this reaction cannot cross the inner membrane and must be transaminated to form aspartate, which can be transported across the membrane to the cytosolic side. Transamination in the cytosol recycles aspartate back to oxaloacetate. In contrast to the glycerol phosphate shuttle, the malate-aspartate cycle is reversible, and it operates as shown in Figure 21.34 only if the NADH/NAD ratio in the cytosol is higher than the ratio in the matrix. Because this shuttle produces NADH in the matrix, the full 2.5 ATPs per NADH are recovered. 

The oxaloacetate is then transported from mitochondrion into the cytosol but not directly, since there is no transporter for oxaloacetate in the mitochondrial membrane. This problem is solved by conversion of oxaloacetate to aspartate, by transamination, and it is the aspartate that is transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane to the cytosol, where oxaloacetate is regenerated from aspartate by a cytosolic aminotransferase enzyme. 

In the malate shuttle (left)—which operates in the heart, liver, and kidneys, for example-oxaloacetic acid is reduced to malate by malate dehydrogenase (MDH, [2a]) with the help of NADH+HT In antiport for 2-oxogluta-rate, malate is transferred to the matrix, where the mitochondrial isoenzyme for MDH [2b] regenerates oxaloacetic acid and NADH+HT The latter is reoxidized by complex I of the respiratory chain, while oxaloacetic acid, for which a transporter is not available in the inner membrane, is first transaminated to aspartate by aspartate aminotransferase (AST, [3a]). Aspartate leaves the matrix again, and in the cytoplasm once again supplies oxalo-acetate for step [2a] and glutamate for return transport into the matrix [3b]. On balance, only NADH+H"" is moved from the cytoplasm into the matrix ATP is not needed for this. 

A similar shuttle, the malate-aspartate shuttle, operates in heart and liver (Fig. 6). Oxaloacetate in the cytosol is converted to malate by cytoplasmic malate dehydrogenase, reoxidizing NADH to NAD+ in the process. The malate enters the mitochondrion via a malate-a-ketoglutarate carrier in the inner mitochondrial membrane. In the matrix the malate is reoxidized to oxaloacetate by NAD+ to form NADH. Oxaloacetate does not easily cross the inner mitochondrial membrane and so is transaminated to form aspartate which then exits from the mitochondrion... 

The renal medulla uses glucose as its main source of energy. Anaerobic glycolysis proceeds in the inner medulla and papilla. The outer medulla, however, can utilize glucose both aerobically and anaerobically. The availability of a-keto-glutarate by transamination favors gluconeogenesis. 

Without additional reagents Reactions of cupric inner complex salts Ligand exchange Transamination... 

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