Bioc lec 6 Flashcards
Why must NADH formed in glycolysis be oxidized back to NAD+?
Cells have limited NAD+, so NADH must be oxidized back to NAD+ to ensure glycolysis continues as an ongoing process.
What determines the metabolic fate of pyruvate?
The metabolic fate of pyruvate depends on the available route to oxidize NADH formed in glycolysis.
How does glycolysis function under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions?
By ensuring NADH formed in glycolysis is oxidized back to NAD+ through different pathways depending on the physiological condition.
What happens to pyruvate under aerobic conditions?
It is oxidized to acetyl-CoA by pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH).
How is pyruvate transported into the mitochondria?
Through a specific transporter.
Where does pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) function?
In the mitochondrial matrix.
What type of reaction does pyruvate dehydrogenase catalyze?
An irreversible oxidative decarboxylation.
Why is pyruvate dehydrogenase considered a key enzyme in metabolism?
It links glycolysis to the citric acid cycle.
Which enzyme in the TCA cycle is closely related to pyruvate dehydrogenase
Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, which catalyzes an analogous reaction.
How many coenzymes does the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex require?
Five coenzymes.
What are the five coenzymes required by the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex?
NAD+, FAD, CoA, TPP (Thiamine pyrophosphate), and lipoate.
Which vitamins are the coenzymes of the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex derived from?
B vitamins.
What is the next step for acetyl CoA once it is formed?
It enters the TCA Cycle.
How is NADH oxidized under aerobic conditions?
By the Electron Transport Chain (ETC) with O₂ as the ultimate oxidant.
What is the purpose of transferring electrons to the Electron Transport Chain (ETC)?
ATP generation via oxidative phosphorylation
Where does glycolysis occur, and where must NADH be transferred for the ETC?
Glycolysis occurs in the cytosol, and NADH must be transferred to the mitochondria.
Why are special shuttle systems required to transport cytosolic NADH to mitochondria?
The inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is impermeable to NADH.
What is the malate-aspartate shuttle?
A system used in the liver, kidney, and heart to transfer reducing equivalents from cytosolic NADH to the mitochondria.
What are reducing equivalents?
Electrons, possibly accompanied by protons, in the form of electrons alone (e⁻), H atoms (e⁻ + H⁺), or hydride ions (H⁻).
What is the glycerol 3-phosphate shuttle?
A system used in skeletal muscle and brain to transfer reducing equivalents from cytosolic NADH to mitochondrial FADH₂.
What happens to the reducing equivalents in the glycerol 3-phosphate shuttle?
They are passed onto FADH₂ and directly delivered to coenzyme Q in the electron transport chain, bypassing complex I.
What does bypassing complex I in the ETC imply?
It has consequences for the efficiency of ATP production (less ATP generated per NADH).
What happens to pyruvate under anaerobic conditions in animals?
Pyruvate is reduced to lactate by lactate dehydrogenase, regenerating NAD⁺.
Why is the reduction of pyruvate to lactate important?
It regenerates NAD⁺, allowing glycolysis to continue under anaerobic conditions.