Carbohydrate Metabolism Biochemistry Flashcards
During sleep, what is the metabolic pathway that maintains [Glucose]plasma?
Gluconeogenesis
Total hepaic glycogen stores are barely sufficient for maintenance of blood glucose concentration during a 12hr fast. Thus glycogenolysis isn’t sufficient
Which organs consume most blood glucose?
RBCs and the brain (80% of the 200g glucose consumed)
Describe Glycogen.
Polysaccharide storage form of glucose
First line of defence against hypoglycaemia
During and immediately following a meal, glucose is converted into glycogen (glycogenesis)
What is glycogenesis?
Conversion of glucose into glycogen following a meal
Where is glycogen stored?
Liver (higher concentration) - used for glucose maintenance
Muscle (majority - because of larger body mass) - used by muscle itself
What is glycogenolysis?
Breakdown of glycogen into glucose (G6P) in the liver for maintenance of normal [glucose]plasma
What are the outcomes of the pentose phosphate pathway?
- ribose 5-phosphate for RNA/DNA synthesis
- NADPH for redox reactions for FA biosynthesis
What is the committed step in PPP?
De-hydrogenation of G6P is the committed step
List the main substrate and the end products of PPP.
Main substrate: G6P
End products: NADPH (FA biosynthesis), H+, pentoses (RNA/DNA synthesis), and CO2
What is glycolysis?
Metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate
Describe the structure of glycogen
- Highly branched glucan
- Branched polysaccharide of glucose
- Contains 2 types of glycosidic links:
1) alpha1,4- linked glucose residues
2) alpha1,6- branches
What is meant by high-capacity, low affinity transporter?
It means that glucose will only be transported across the membrane when it is in high concentration inside the cell.
Where does glycogenesis activated?
Liver and muscle following a meal
What transporter is used in glycogenesis?
GLUT2
High-capacity, low-affinity receptor
What enzymes is used to convert glucose into G6P
Glucokinase (hexokinase IV)
Is glucose kinase inhibited by increased production of G6P? (NEGATIVE FEEDBACK)?
No. Glucokinase is NOT inhibited by G6P, so that [G6P] increases rapidly in the liver following a meal, forcing glucose into all the major pathways of glucose metabolism: glysolysis, PPP, and glycogenesis
What are the major pathways of glucose metabolism?
Glycolysis
PPP
Glycogenesis
What happens to glucose in the liver following a high-carb meal?
Increased glucose in the liver
Converted into G6P by glucokinase
- Replenish glycogen stores (glycogenesis)
- Excess G6P enters glycolysis which:
i- produces ATP
ii- primarily allows for conversion of G6P into FA and TG which are subsequently transported to adipose tissue.
What happens to glucose in the blood following a high-carb meal?
Glucose is used for muscle synthesis and storage of glycogen
And in adipose tissue as a source of glycerol for TG biosynthesis
Briefly outline the glycogenesis pathway from glucose
Occurs in the liver and muscle following a meal
- Conversion of glucose into G6P by glucokinase
- Conversion of G6P into G1P by phosphyglucomutase
- Activation of GIP to sugar nucleotide UDP-Glucose by the enzyme UDP-glucose pryophosphorylase
- Transfer of glucose from UDP-glucose to glycogen by alpha1,4-links by glycogen synthase
Glycogen branching enzymes transfers 7 residues to another glycogen chain by alpha1,6-links
What is the regulatory enzymes of glycogenesis?
Glycogen synthase
Describe the pathway of glycogenolysis.
- Begins with removal of a1,4-linked glucose residues in glycogen
- This is achieved by glycogen phosphorylate (glycogen to G1P)
- G1P is isomerised by phosphoglucomutase to G6P placing G6P at the top of the glycolytic pathway
- Glucose is released from G6P by glucose-6-phosphatase and glucose exits via GLUT2
- rate-limiting, regulatory step in glycogeneolysis is catalysed by glycogen phosphorylase (first enzyme)
What is the rate-limiting, regulatory step of glycogenolysis?
Activity of glycogen phosphorylase (first enzyme)
How does G6P generated via glycogenolysis in the liever exit the liver?
Glucose is released from G6P by glucose-6-phosphatase, and glucose exists via GLUT2
Which hormones are involved in the regulation of glycogenolysis? And how.
- Glucagon - secreted by pancreatic alpha-cells; initiated by hypoglycaemia; cause rapid activation of glycogenolysis
- Adrenaline - secreted by adrenal medulla; initiated by acute stress/hypoglycaemia; cause rapid activation of glycogenolysis
- Cortisol - secreted by adrenal cortex; initiated by chronic stress; causes chronic activation of glycogenolysis
- Insulin - secreted by pancreatic B-cells; initiated by hyperglycaemia; causes inhibition of glycogenolysis
Which hormone inhibits glycogenolysis?
Insulin - secreted by pancreatic B-cells
Which hormones promote glycogenolysis?
Glucagon - pancreatic a-cells
Adrenaline - adrenal medulla
Cortisol - adrenal cortex
What kind of hormone is glucogon?
Peptide hormone secreted from a-cells of endocrine pancreas
What is the primary function of glucagon?
To activate glycogenolysis for maintenance of normoglycaemia
Describe how [Glucagon]plasma change during the day
- Decreases during meals
- Increases between meals
- Chronically increases during fasting or on a low-carb diet
Give an example of a physiologic stress that activates glycogenolysis
Response to increased blood glucose utilisation during exercise
Give an example of a pathologic stress that activates glycogenolysis
As a result of blood loss (shock)
Give an example of a psychiologic stress that activates glycogenolysis
In response to acute/chronic threats
Explains the body’s glucose metabolism in response to acute stress
Acute stress causes activation of glycogenlysis though the action of catecholamine hormone adrenaline released by the adrenal medulla
During prolonged exercise, both glucagon and adrenaline contribute to stimulate glycogenolysis and maintenance of blood [glucose]
Explains the mechanism of action of glucagon
Glucagon binds to the glucagon receptor on hepatocytes
This is a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)
Causes increase in cAMP
cAMP stimulates cAMP-dependent kinase (PKA)
PKA acts on downstream targets to cause activation of glycogen phosphatase to convert glycogen into G1P
Which tissues most depend on glucose? And why?
80% of the approx.200g glucose consumed each day goes towards:
- RBCs - no mitochondria so cannot oxidise fuels, gain energy only from glycolysis
- Brain - FAs cannot cross the blood-brain barrier
Define gluconeogenesis
The synthesis of glucose from a non-carbohydrate (non-hexose) source.
E.g. lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, and certain amino acids
What is the purpose of gluconeogenesis?
Required to maintain blood glucose during fasting and starvation
Describe the onset of gluconeogenesis
Unlike glycogenolysis, which can be turned on rapidly in response to hormonal stimulation, gluconeogenesis increases more slowly, depending on changes in gene expression, and reaches maximum activity over a period of hours
- It becomes the primary source of our [glucose]blood about 8 hours of fasting
What are the requirements for gluconeogenesis?
- Energy for biosynthesis - provided by metabolism of FAs released from adipose tissue
- Source of carbons for the formation of backbone of glucose molecule - 3 main sources:
i) Lactate produced in tissues such as RBCs and muscle
ii) amino acids derived from protein
iii) glycerol released from triglycerides during lipolysis of adipose tissue
What provides the energy for gluconeogenesis?
FA metabolism in adipose tissue
Where does gluconeogenesis mainly occur?
Liver
What is the pathway of gluconeogenesis?
Opposite of glycolysis
What do glycolysis and gluconeogenesis have in common?
Same pathway. Reversible
A critical problem in the reverse of glycolysis for gluconeogenesis is over coming the irreversibility of 3 enzymes. List the 3 enzymes.
- Glucokinase: glucose –> G6P
- Phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1): G6P –> F6p
- Pyruvate kinase (PK): last enzyme to form pyruvate
A critical problem in the reverse of glycolysis for gluconeogenesis is over coming the irreversibility of 3 enzymes. List the 3 enzymes, and describe how they are bypassed
- Pyruvate kinase is bypassed by 2 enzymes:
i - pyruvate carboxylase in the mitochondria
(oxaloacetate intermediate)
ii- PEPCK in the cytoplasm - PFK1 is bypassed by fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase
- Glucokinase is bypassed by glucose-6-phosphatase
Which enzyme bypasses glucokinase?
Glucose-6-phosphatase
Where does glucokinase act?
Conversion of glucose to G6P (glycolysis)
Which enzyme bypasses PFK-1?
Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase
Where does PFK1 act?
Conversion G6P to F6P (glycolysis)
Which enzyme(s) bypass pyruvate kinase?
First pyruvate carboxylase converts pyruvate to oxaloacetate
then oxaloacetate is converted to phosphoenolpyruvate by PEPCK
Where is glucose-6-phosphatase expressed?
Expressed in the lumen of ER
Requires transporters for substrates and products to get in/out
Comment on the expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (.
Glucose-6-phosphatase is an enzyme in the gluconeogenesis pathway that converts G6P to glucose.
(starvation)
Its expression is upregulated by adrenaline and glucocorticoids
and down regulated by insulin
What substrate can glucose not be synthesised from?
FAs
Can glucose be synthesised by fatty acids? Why?
NO
FAs are oxidised to acetyl-coA
2CO2s are produced, therefore lost carbons
No carbons remains to contribute to glucose carbon backbone
How does glucagon and adrenaline effect gluconeogenesis?
Decrease glucokinase
Increase glucose-6-phosphatase
Therefore, increase gluconeogenesis
Insulin inhibits gluconeogenesis
Effects is at level of gene expression
At what level is gluconeogenesis effects expressed?
Effects is at level of gene expression
Which cell occupy the islet of langerhans in the pancreas and by which percentage?
a-cell –> glucagon (20%)
b-cell –> insulin (75%)
d-cell –> somatostatin (4%)
polypeptide (pp) –> pp-hormone (1%)
What are the two most important energy substrates in the body?
Glucose and fatty acids
What pathways provide glucose?
2 pathways
- glycogenolysis
- gluconeogenesis