CAC Flashcards
When and by who was discovered the CAC?
1937
- Albert Szent-Györgyi → respiration
- Hans Krebs → CAC
What does it mean for the CAC to be amphibolic?
It is a site of anabolism and catabolism
What part of the CAC corresponds to anabolism and catabolism?
Anabolism → CAC intermediates are the starting point of anabolic pathways (ex: gluconeogenesis, fatty acid synthesis, amino acid synthesis)
*Mostly in cancer cells, highly proliferating cells, adipose cells making fat from citrate
Catabolism → CAC intermediates are the end point of catabolic pathways
- Aerobic catabolism of carbs, lipids and aa merge into the CAC (ex: oxaloacetate ↔ AA)
*Catabolic = casse
What is a Cataplerotic reaction vs an anaplerotic reaction from the stand point of the CAC?
Cataplerotic (cata = emtpying) → depletes the CAC intermediates → decreases cycle chain
*Ex: fatty acid synthesis uses citrate
Anaplerotic (ana = filing up) → replenish the depleted CAC intemediates
*Ex: Pyruvate carboxylase makes oxaloacetate
*CAC intermdediates are simple compounds so Cataplerotic reactions are part of anabolism of the cells and Anaplerotic reactions are part of catabolism of the cell
What is the Pyruvate Carboxylase reaction?
CO2 + Pyruvate → Oxaloacetate
*Replenishes the last step to allow the cycle to run again (anaplerotic)
What are the main function of the CAC?
- Producing reducing equivalents
- Produce intermediates for biosynthesis
- Produce ATP
Does the CAC harvest energy?
Is the CAC aerobic or anaerobic?
Yes, through electric gradients
Neither!! → Just an enzymatic pathway
*Could say anaerobic
What is the overall reaction of the CAC?
3 NAD+ + FAD + GDP + Pi + acetyl-CoA → 3 NADH + FADH2 + GTP + CoA + 2CO2
Which steps confer directionality to the CAC?
*Also the 3 regulated steps
Step 1 - Citrate synthase
Step 3 - Isocitrate dehydrogenase
Step 4 - a-Ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
*∆G < 0
What happens in Step 1 of the CAC?
What is the ∆G?
Oxaloacetate + Acetyl-CoA → Citrate
*Citrate Synthase
∆G˚ = -31.5kJ/mol
Citryl-CoA contains a thioester high-energy bond → hydrolysis of this bond is ∆G˚=-31.5 kJ/mol
Makes the reaction irreversible
Low pool of Oxaloacetate which would reduce the ∆G in vivo, but used readily because of the breakage of the thioesther bond
What is the only reaction where a C-C bond is formed?
Step 1: Oxaloacetate (4C) + Acetyl-CoA (2C) → Citrate
- Enol of Acetyl-CoA attacks carbonyl C in oxaloacetate
What reaction occurs at step 2 of the CAC?
Aconitase
Citrate ↔ Isocitrate (∆G˚ ~ 0kJ/mol)
Isomerization of citrate to isocitrate with cis-aconitate as an intermediate
1) Dehydration of Citrate
2) Re-hydration of cis-aconitate
What reaction occurs at step 3 of the CAC?
Isocitrate dehydrogenase
Isocitrate + NAD+ →a-ketoglutarate + CO2 + NADH + H+ (∆G˚ = -21kJ.mol)
*This step is highly inhibited by NADH
1) Dehydrogenase activity generates NADH
2) Decarboxylase activity generates CO2
3) CO2 comes from oxaloacetate, not from acetyl-CoA (exergonic, irreversible)
What happens in step 4 of the CAC?
Ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
a-ketoglutarate + CoA + NAD+ → succinyl-CoA + CO2 _ NADH + H+ (∆G˚ = -33 kJ/mol)
- Oxidation decarboxylation generates NADH and CO2
- Decarboxylation provides the energy to generate high energy intermediate: Succinylcholine-CoA
*Just like PDH, a-KGDH has E1/E2/E3 (very similar)
What happens in step 5 of the CAC?
Succinyl-CoA Synthase
Succinyl-CoA + GDP + Pi ↔ succinate + GTP (∆G˚ ~ 0kJ/mol)
- Use of the high energy succinyl-CoA to generate ATP (exergonic + endergonic cancel out)
- Energy of succinyl-CoA is conserved through succinyl-phosphate, 3-phospho-His residue, then GTP (in some cells, make ATP directly)
→ At this point, 1 equivalent acetyl-CoA (2C) has been completely oxidized to 2x CO2
→ 2x NADH and 1 GTP have been generated
What happens in step 6 of the CAC?
Succinate Dehydrogenase
Succinate + E-FAD ↔ fumarate E-FADH2 (∆G ~ 0kJ/mol)
- SDH His residue is covalently bound to FAD (FAD can’t diffuse as free metabolite)
- Dehydrogenation oc succinate produed SDH-FADH2
- SDH = Complex II of ETC → SDH-FADH2 restores FAD by feeding e- in ETC