Amino Acid Metabolism Flashcards
How do amino acids enter the TCA cycle?
Via acetyl CoA, a ketolutarate, succinyl CoA, fumarate, OAA and pyruvate
What are cofactors for amino acid metabolism?
PLP (pyridoxal phosphate), tetrahydrofolate (FH4), tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)
In what location can all of the enzymes for amino acid synthesis and breakdown be found?
In the liver
What are the two classifications of amino acid breakdown?
Glucogenic and ketogenic
What amino acids undergo ketogenic breakdown only?
Leucine and Lysine
What amino acids can undergo ketogenic breakdown?
leucine, lysine, isoleucine, threonine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan
What amino acids undergo glucogenic breakdown?
All the amino acids except leucine and lysine.
Amino acid carbons are converted to intermediates of ____.
Glycolytic pathways, TCA cycle, and lipid metabolism
The first step of amino acid metabolism
A transfer of the alpha-amino group by transamination to alpha-ketoglutarate or oxaloacetate, or by providing glutamine and asparagine (sources for nitrogen of urea cycle)
True or false: All amino acids undergo transamination
FALSE: LYSINE CANNOT UNDERGO TRANSAMINATION
What amino acids end up as acetyl CoA?
KWIT (threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, lysine)
Where does leucine enter the ketogenic pathway?
HMG-CoA
Where does tyrosine enter the ketogenic pathway?
As a ketone body
Where does glycine enter the ketogenic pathway?
It doesn’t
Where does valine enter the ketogenic pathway?
It doesn’t
Where does phenylalanine enter the ketogenic pathway?
as a ketone body
What enzyme or cofactor is required for the transamination of aspartate into oxaloacetate?
PLP (pyridoxal phosphate)
Some leukemic cells have low _____ activity and require ____.
low asparagine synthetase activity
exogenous asparagine
What is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia?
Asparaginase (it reduces serum asparagine, and leukemic cells have low asparagine synthetase activity)
What amino acids enter the pathway as pyruvate?
CAST (Cysteine, alanine, and serine directly, threonine indirectly)
How does cysteine enter metabolism?
Converts to pyruvate or taurine (bile salts)
A lack of this protein may cause kidney stones
glyoxylate transaminase (Called oxaluria type I)
Oxaluria type I results from a lack of ___.
Glyoxylate transaminase
Glycine can be broken down in a few ways. What is the most direct?
What is the other pathway?
Glycine cleavage enzyme uses NAD+ and some FH4 molecule thing I don’t understand to cleave glycine into carbon dioxide and ammonium. NADH and N5,N10-Ch2-FH4 are also produced. (Doesn’t require TPP)
Glycine to glyoxylate to either oxalate or alpha-hydroxy-beta-ketoadipate (when combined with alpha-keto-glutarate) which is then degraded to carbon dioxide and water
What do EDTA, citrate, and oxalate have in common?
They all bind calcium
3-phosphoglycerate is a precursor for __.
Serine, cysteine, and glycine
Serine, cysteine, and glycine are formed from ___.
3-phosphoglycerate
Serine is a precursor for ___.
Glycine and cysteine
Cysteine and glycine can be made from ___.
Serine
Known synthesis of cysteine from serine
uses serine and homocysteine, cystathionine intermediate, creates alpha-ketobutyrate and cysteine
Homocystinuria is a result of ___.
Defects in cystathionine beta-synthase
Defects in cystathionine beta-synthase result in ___.
homocystinuria
What is homocystinuria?
High homocysteine levels increase risk for coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis, dislocation of eye lens. The amino acid damages cells lining blood vessels and raises oxidative stress. Treat with vitamin B6 (pyridoxal phosphate), some mutations respond to increased pyridoxal phosphate concentrations.
Where does homocysteine come from?
Methionine