3. Energy Storage Flashcards
What should the plasma glucose level be?
5mmol/L
Which tissues have an absolute requirement for glucose as an energy store and why?
- Red blood cells - do not have mitochondria so need glucose for glycolysis to continue to produce ATP as they do not have oxidative phosphorylation
- Neutrophils - mitochondria adapted to produce ROS to destroy bacteria by respiratory burst
- Innermost cells of kidney medulla - blood supply limited so not enough oxygen for oxidative phosphorylation
- Lens of the eye -blood supply limited so not enough oxygen for oxidative phosphorylation
- Stable blood glucose level absolutely essential for normal brain function.
What can cause hypoglycaemia?
Acute alcohol poisoning
Diabetic taking insulin and not eating
Athlete pushing beyond limit
What are the consequences of hypoglycaemia at the different blood glucose levels of 2.8, 1.7, 1.1, 0.6 mmol /L?
- 8 - confusion
- 7 - weakness and nausea
- 1 - muscle cramps
- 6 - brain damage, death
What is glucose mainly stored as ?
Glycogen
Where is glycogen stored and in what form?
Glycogen is stored as granules
Mainly In muscle and liver
Distinguish between intramyofibrillar and intermyofibrillar glycogen in muscle
intra - granules within muscle fibres
inter - granules in spaces between muscle fibres
Describe the structure of glycogen
• Glycogen is a polymer consisting of chains of
glucose residues
• Chains are organized like the branches of a tree originating from a dimer of the protein glycogenin
(acts as a primer at core of glycogen structure).
• Glucose residues linked by α-1-4 glycosidic bonds with α-1-6 glycosidic bonds forming branch points every 8-10 residues
what is the advantage of storing glucose in a branched format?
- The highly branched structure provides many sites to which glucose residues can be added or removed allowing rapid synthesis or degradation of glycogen
- allows more compact structure so less osmotic effect so is a good storage molecule
describe glycogenesis
The pathway of glycogen synthesis from glucose involves a number of steps:
Step 1. Glucose + ATP → glucose 6-P + ADP
catalysed by hexokinase (glucokinase in liver)
Step 2. Glucose 6-P ↔ Glucose 1-P
catalysed by phosphoglucomutase
Step 3. Glucose 1-P + UTP + H2O → UDP-glucose + 2Pi
catalysed by G1P uridylyltransferase
Step 4. Glycogen (n residues) + UDP-glucose → glycogen (n + 1 residues) + UDP
This irreversible reaction is catalysed by two enzymes:
• Glycogen synthase
• Branching enzyme
whats the difference between glycogen synthase and branching enzyme?
Glycogen synthase links glucose residues in series to a glycogen primer by α1-4 glycosidic bonds.
At appropriate points (after every ~10 units)
branching enzyme links a glucose residue by an α1-6 glycosidic bond introducing a branch point
what does synthesis of glycogen require?
Synthesis of glycogen requires ENERGY
what is UTP and UDP?
UTP is structurally similar and energetically equivalent to ATP. UDP glucose can be considered as a highly activated form of glucose. It is an important intermediate in the synthesis of a number of sugar containing molecules (e.g. lactose and glycogen) and in the interconversion of glucose and galactose.
describe step 1 of glycogenolysis
Step 1.
Glycogen (n residues) + Pi → glucose 1-phosphate + glycogen (n-1)
This reaction is catalysed by the enzyme GLYCOGEN PHOSPHORYLASE that attacks the α1-4 bonds. The bonds are subjected to phosphorolysis rather than hydrolysis with the result that glucose residues are released as glucose 1-phosphate rather than free glucose.
Glycogen phosphorylase does not attack the α1-6 branch points and this requires the activity of a DE-BRANCHING ENZYME. De-branching enzyme produces free glucose.
describe step 2 of glycogenolysis
Glucose 1-phosphate ↔ glucose 6-phosphate
This reaction is catalysed by the enzyme PHOSPHOGLUCOMUTASE. In muscle, the glucose 6-phosphate enters glycolysis and is used to provide energy for the exercising muscle. Thus, muscle glycogen represents a store of glucose 6-phosphate that can only be used by the muscle cells. In liver during fasting or during stress the glucose 6-phosphate is converted to glucose by the enzyme glucose 6-phosphatase (this enzyme is absent from muscle)
describe step 3 of glycogenolysis
(In Liver but not muscle)
Glucose 6-phosphate + H2O → glucose + Pi
This reaction is catalysed by GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATASE. The glucose is released into the blood stream and transported to other tissues. Thus
liver glycogen represents a store of glucose that can be made available to all tissues of the body.
When is glycogen degraded?
Glycogen is degraded in skeletal muscle in response to exercise and in the liver in response to fasting or as part of the stress response (“fright, fight or flight response”).
Compare the functions of glycogen stores in the liver and muscle respectively
Glycogen stores serve different functions in liver and muscle.
In liver, G6P converted to glucose and exported to blood. Liver glycogen is a buffer of blood glucose levels.
Muscle lacks the enzyme Glucose-6-phosphatase. G6P enters glycolysis for energy production in muscle cells
What is the rate limiting enzyme that is changed to regulate glycogen synthesis?
glycogen synthase
What is the rate limiting enzyme that is changed to regulate glycogen degradation?
glycogen phosphorylase
what are the 3 hormones that are involved in regulating liver glycogen metabolism?
glucagon
adrenaline
insulin
Outline the regulation of Liver glycogen synthesis
glucagon and adrenaline causes phosphorylation of glycogen synthase which decreases enzyme activity.
Insulin causes de-phosphorylation of glycogen synthase which increases enzyme activity.
outline the regulation of Liver glycogen degradation
glucagon and adrenaline causes phosphorylation of glycogen phosphorylase which increases enzyme activity.
Insulin causes de-phosphorylation of glycogen phosphorylase which decreases enzyme activity.
what is the difference in regulation of liver and muscle glycogen?
Muscle glycogen stores differ in that Glucagon has no effect because muscle does not have glucagon receptors.
Also AMP is an allosteric activator of muscle glycogen phosphorylase but not of the liver form of enzyme