2.1-2.2 Cell Metabolism Flashcards
What does glycolysis produce?
2 x Pyruvate
2 x NADH
2 x net ATP
What reaction is irreversible and commits the cell to glycolysis and why?
Conversion of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate by hexokinase
Traps glucose in the cell as phosphate carries a negative charge
What is the complete reaction steps of glycolysis?
Glucose
G6P by hexokinase (GT)
F6P by phosphoglucose isomerase (iso)
F-1,6-BP by phosphofructokinase (GT)
GAL-3-P and DHAP by aldolase (hydrolytic)
GAL-3-P by triose phosphate isomerase (iso)
2 x 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate by GAL-3-P dehydrogenase (redox, GR)
2 x 3-phosphoglycerate by phosphoglycerate kinase (GT)
2 x 2-phosphoglycerate by phosphoglycerate mutase (iso)
2 x phosphoenolpyruvate by enolase (dehydration)
2 x pyruvate by pyruvate kinase (GT)
Which step of glycolysis does phosphofructokinase control?
The conversion of fructose-6-phosphate into fructose-1,6-bisphosphate
What is the rate limiting step of glycolysis and why?
Conversion of F6P to F-1,6-BP
Phosphofructokinase is an allosteric enzyme regulated by negative feedback
When ATP levels rise, its affinity for F6P is reduced
What does hexokinase catalyse?
The conversion of glucose into glucose - 6 - phosphate
What is the only glycolytic enzymopathy which is fatal?
Deficiency in TPI
Which reactions produce ATP?
1,3-bisphosphoglycerate to 3-phosphoglycerate by phosphoglycerate kinase
Phosphenolpyruvate to pyruvate by pyruvate kinase
What do kinases do?
Transfer phosphate groups to molecules
Which step in glycolysis needs NAD+?
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate to 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate by GAL-3-P dehydrogenase
Which steps of glycolysis require ATP?
Glucose → glucose - 6 - phosphate
Fructose - 6 - phosphate → Fructose - 1,6 - bisphosphate
Does glycolysis need oxygen to occur?
No - it is anaerobic
Where does glycolysis occur?
In the cytoplasm
Why are high energy phosphate groups added to some of the substrates involved in glycolysis?
Adding the phosphate groups makes them easier to split as they are more reactive
What are the three fates of pyruvate?
- Lactate generation
- Acetyl CoA production
- Alcohol fermentation
What enzyme is needed to generate Acetyl CoA from pyruvate?
Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex
What does pyruvate dehydrogenase needed as a cofactor?
Thiamine
What condition does a deficiency in thiamine result in and what are the 3 symptoms of this condition?
Beri-Beri
1. Damage to peripheral nervous system
2. Weakness of musculature
3. Decreased cardiac output
What happens in alcohol fermentation?
How is pyruvate converted into lactate?
Using lactate dehydrogenase complex
What does the fermentation of alcohol and lactate production both regenerate?
NAD+ which is needed for glycolysis to continue occurring anaerobically
How can lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) be used as a diagnostic tool?
LDH is released into the circulation as a result of necrosis
Used to diagnose tissue damage
E.g. stroke, MI, liver disease, muscle injury, muscular dystrophy, pulmonary infarction
What happens to the Acetyl CoA that is produced?
It enters into the Krebs Cycle
Which high-energy bond joins the acetyl group onto CoA and what is it useful for?
Thioester bond
It is readily hydrolysed, enabling acetyl CoA to donate the acetate to other molecules
What are the stages of the Krebs Cycle?
Acetyl CoA combines with oxaloacetate to make Citrate
Then Alpha - keto glutarate
Succinyl CoA
Succinate
Fumarate
Malate
What does the Krebs cycle produce?
2 x CO2
1 x GTP
3 x NADH
1 x FADH
What reaction in the Krebs cycle produces FADH?
The conversion of succinate to fumerate
Where does the krebs cycle occur?
The mitochondrial matrix
What is a transamination reaction?
Removing an amine group from one amino acid and transferring it to a ketoacid, producing another ketoacid and amino acid
Give an example of transamination
alanine + alpha-ketoglutarate → pyruvate (ka) + glutamate (aa)
Elevated levels of which enzyme are a diagnostic tool for hepatic disorders such as hepatitis C?
Alanine aminotransferase
Which 3 amino acids can be phosphorylated and why?
Serine, threonine and tyrosine as they have an OH group
What are the 7 molecules that could arise from degradation of all 20 amino acids?
Pyruvate
Succinyl CoA
Acetoacetyl CoA
Acetyl CoA
Oxaloacetate
Alpha-ketoglutarate
Fumarate
Why is it essential that NAD+ is regenerated?
Needed for dehydrogenation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate to produce ATP
Allows glycolysis to occur anaerobically
What is the Warburg effect?
Mutations occur in genes of fumarase, succinate dehydrogenase and isocitrate dehydrogenase, which decreases Kreb’s Cycle activity which enhances anaerobic glycolysis
What are glucogenic amino acids?
Catabolism produces pyruvate or other glucose precursors
What are ketogenic amino acids?
Catabolism produces ketone body precursors like Acetyl CoA
During fasting, which type of metabolism dominates?
Fat metabolism, resulting in the production of ketone bodies
What happens when the levels of Acetyl CoA is not equal to Oxaloacetate?
The excess Acetyl CoA is used to make ketone bodies
What are the names of the three ketone bodies?
Acetone, acetoacetate and 3-B-hydroxybutyrate
Why can ketone bodies be utilised by the brain but fatty acids cannot?
Fatty acids can’t cross the blood brain barrier
What is the purpose of the shuttles?
To regenerate NAD+ from NADH and carry its electrons across the matrix as the inner mitochondrial membrane is impermeable to NADH
Where in the body is the Glycerol-Phosphate Shuttle used?
Brain and skeletal muscle
Explain how the Glycerol-Phosphate Shuttle works
Cytosolic glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase transfers electrons from NADH to dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), producing glycerol-3-phosphate
Mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase regenerates DHAP and transfers the electrons to FAD, which passes them on to coenzyme Q
Where in the body is the Malate-Aspartate Shuttle used?
Liver, kidney and the heart
Give the transamination reaction which occurs in the malate-aspartate shuttle
Oxaloacetate (ka) + glutamate (aa) →
alpha-ketoglutarate (ka) + aspartate (aa)
Outline the processes in the Malate-Aspartate Shuttle
- Malate dehydrogenase reduces oxaloacetate to malate and oxidises NADH to NAD
- Malate is shuttled into mitochondria and mitochondrial MDH forms NADH and oxaloacetate
- Oxaloacetate (ketoacid) and glutamate (amino acid) undergo transamination by aspartate transaminase to form aspartate (amino acid) and alpha-ketoglutarate (ketoacid)
- Aspartate is shuttled out the mitochondrion and cytosolic AT carries out reverse transamination to produce glutamate (amino acid) and oxaloacetate (ketoacid)
What kind of transporters are used to shuttle the molecules between the cytosol and mitochondrion?
Antiporters (transport in 2 directions)
When malate enters the mitochondrion, alpha-ketoglutarate leaves
When aspartate leaves the mitochondrion, glutamate enters
What is a ligation requiring ATP cleavage reaction?
Formation of covalent bonds eg carbon-carbon bonds
What is an isomerisation reaction?
The rearrangement of atoms to form isomers
What is a group transfer reaction?
The transfer of a function group from one molecule to another
What is a hydrolytic reaction?
The cleavage of bonds by the addition of water