Chapter 16- Glycolysis and gluconeogenesis Flashcards
Glycolysis
Glycolysis breaks down one molecule of glucose into two molecules of pyruvate, and 2 molecules of ATP are produced as a part of this process. This process is anaerobic- it does not require oxygen. This is because it evolved before substantial amounts of oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere
After pyruvate is produced during glycolysis, what are the ways it can be further processed? (3)
- Anaerobically, lactate is formed through lactic acid fermentation
- Anaerobically, ethanol is formed through alcoholic fermentation
- Under aerobic conditions, pyruvate can be completely oxidized to form carbon dioxide and generate much more ATP.
During glycolysis, the fates of pyruvate depend on
The organism and whether or not oxygen is present.
Gluconeogenesis
Gluconeogenesis is a process that salvages metabolic products like pyruvate and lactate in order to synthesize glucose, since it’s such an important fuel to the body. Basically, gluconeogenesis uses the products of glycolysis to synthesize glucose.
How are glycolysis and gluconeogenesis different?
Although the two pathways have some enzymes in common, they are not just the reverse of each other. There are steps of glycolysis that are irreversible and release a high amount of energy. These steps are skipped in gluconeogenesis. In addition, the pathways are reciprocally regulated. This is so the pathways will not take place simultaneously in the cell.
Where is glucose generated from?
Glucose is generated from dietary carbohydrates. We generally consume starch and glycogen as part of our diets. These are complex carbohydrates that are converted to simple carbohydrates so they can be absorbed by the intestine and transported in the blood.
ɑ-amylase function
ɑ-amylase is a pancreatic enzyme that digests starch and glycogen
How does ɑ-amylase work, and which molecules does it result in?
Amylase cleaves (breaks) the ɑ-1,4 bonds of starch and glycogen, but not the ɑ-1,6 bonds. This results in di- and trisaccharides maltose and maltotriose.
Maltase
An enzyme that can digest maltotriose and all other oligosaccharides that were not digested by amylase. It also breaks the bonds of maltose, creating 2 glucose molecules.
Limit dextrin
The material that is not digested by amylase due to its ɑ-1,6 bonds is called the limit dextrin. ɑ-dextrinase is an enzyme that further digests the limit dextrin.
Enzymes found on the surface of intestinal cells (3)
ɑ-glucosidase, sucrase, and lactase
Sucrase
Enzyme that degrades the sucrose contributed by vegetables to fructose and glucose.
Lactase
Degrades the lactose that comes from milk into glucose and galactose.
What happens to the monosaccharides that result from enzyme reactions?
These monosaccharides contributed by enzyme reactions are transported into the cells lining the intestine and then into the bloodstream.
Which animals use glucose as fuel?
Almost all animals use glucose. In mammals, glucose is the only fuel that the brain uses under non starvation conditions and the only fuel that red blood cells can use at all.
Why is glucose used as a prominent fuel, opposed to another monosaccharide? (3)
- Glucose is one of several monosaccharides formed from formaldehyde under prebiotic conditions. It might have been used for primitive biochemical systems.
- Glucose has a low tendency to nonezymatically glycosylate proteins, compared to other monosaccharides.
- Glucose has a strong tendency to exist in the ring conformation (is the most stable hexose), and therefore tends not to modify proteins. In the ring conformation, all hydroxyl groups are equatorial.
In eukaryotic cells, how are glycolytic enzymes organized?
They are organized in supramolecular complexes found in the cytoplasm. This is an arrangement that increases enzyme efficiency by facilitating movement of substrates and products between enzymes. This process is called substrate channeling and prevents the release of any toxic intermediates.
2 stages of glycolysis
- Glucose is trapped and prepared
2. Oxidizes the 3-carbon compounds to pyruvate while generating two molecules of ATP.
What occurs during stage 1 of glycolysis?
The purpose of the initial steps of stage 1 is to trap the glucose in the cell and form a compound that can be readily cleaved into phosphorylated 3 carbon units- this stage will end when fructose is cleaved into the 3 carbon compounds . Glucose is converted into fructose 1,6-bisphosphate.
Hexokinase
An enzyme that traps glucose in the cell and begins glycolysis. It requires requires Mg2+ or Mn2+ as a cofactor, and catalyzes the transfer of the phosphoryl group from ATP to the hydroxyl group on carbon 6 of glucose.
What happens to glucose when it enters the cell?
Upon entering the cell through a specific transport protein, glucose is phosphorylated by ATP to form glucose 6-phosphate.
Why must glucose be phosphorylated as it enters the cell? (2)
- Glucose-6-phosphate can’t pass through the membrane because of the negative charges on the phosphoryl groups, and it isn’t acted on by glucose transporters
- The addition of the phosphoryl group facilitates the metabolism of glucose into 3 carbon molecules with high phosphoryl transfer potential.
Kinases
Enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a phosphoryl group from ATP to an acceptor
How does hexokinase work?
Hexokinase employs substrate-binding induced fit to help exclude water and minimize undesired hydrolysis of ATP. These structural changes in hexokinase are induced by glucose binding to the enzyme.
Why are the structural changes in hexokinase significant? (2)
- The environment around the glucose becomes more nonpolar, which favors a reaction between the hydrophilic hydroxyl group of glucose and the terminal phosphoryl group of ATP.
- The conformational changes enable the kinase to discriminate against water as a substrate- the cleft in hexokinase closes to prevent water from binding to the active site.
Which molecule does glucose 1,6-biphosphate during glycolysis?
Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate.
Phosphoglucose isomerase
The conversion of glucose 6-phosphate to fructose 6-phosphate is catalyzed by phosphoglucose isomerase. The enzyme opens the 6 carbon ring of glucose 6-phosphate, then catalyzes the isomerization of glucose 6-phosphate, then promotes the formation of the 5 membered ring of fructose 6-phosphate. The reaction is readily reversible.
After the isomerization step of glycolysis, what happens?
A second, irreversible phosphorylation step follows. Fructose 6-phosphate is phosphorylated to fructose 1,6-biphosphate, using ATP molecules. The carbohydrate is trapped in the fructose form.
Phosphofructokinase (PFK)
The second phosphorylation reaction of glycolysis is catalyzed by PFK. PFK is an allosteric enzyme- it binds at another site that isn’t the active site. PFK is also an important regulator of glycolysis.
What is the purpose of the phosphorylation of fructose 6-phosphate to form fructose 1,6-biphosphate?
Phosphorylation of the fructose 6-phosphate to fructose 1,6-biphosphate prevents the reformation of glucose 6-phosphate.
To complete stage 1 of glycolysis, fructose 1,6-biphosphate is cleaved into (2)
- Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GAP)
2. Dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP)
Aldolase
An enzyme that catalyzes the cleavage of fructose 1,6-biphosphate into DHAP and GAP. This reaction is readily reversible.
How are DHAP and GAP processed differently?
GAP is on the direct pathway of glycolysis, while DHAP isn’t. Therefore, GAP can be processed to pyruvate to yield ATP, whereas
DHAP cannot.
Triose phosphate isomerase (TPI)
An enzyme that interconverts GAP and DHAP, allowing the DHAP to be further metabolized. TPI is the only glycolytic enzyme for which genetic deficiency in expression can be lethal. It is characterized by hemolytic anemia and neurodegeneration.
What occurs during a TPI reaction?
TPI catalyzes the transfer if a hydrogen atom from carbon 1 to carbon 2, an intramolecular oxidation-reduction. This is an isomerization of ketose into an aldose, and proceeds through an enediol intermediate.
Steps of a TPI reaction (3)
- Glutamate 165 acts as a general base catalyst and removes a proton from C-1 of the substrate to form the enediol intermediate.
- Glutamate 165, now acting as a general acid catalyst, donates a proton to C-2, while histidine 95 removes a proton from C-1.
- The product is formed, and glutamate 165 and histidine 95 return to their initial states.
Which features of TPI enhance its efficiency? (2)
- TPI is a strong catalyst. It accelerates isomerization much more than other enzymes. The ratio is close to the diffusion-controlled limit
- TPI suppresses an undesired side reaction- the decomposition of the enediol intermediate into methyl glyoxal and orthophosphate.
Diffusion-controlled limit
Catalysis takes place every time that the enzyme and the substrate meet. The diffusion-controlled encounter of substrate and enzyme is thus the rate limiting step in catalysis. TPI is an enzyme of a kinetically perfect enzyme.
Why is the decomposition of the enediol intermediate an undesired reaction?
The reaction occurs much faster than the isomerization reaction, but is physiologically useless. Also, methyl glyoxal is a highly reactive compound that can modify the structure and function of biomolecules, including DNA and proteins. TPI is able to prevent the enediol from leaving the enzyme. The active site is kept closed when enediol is present and remains closed until the isomerization is completed.
What is the initial reaction in the second stage of glycolysis?
Conversion of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate into 1,3-biphosphoglycerate. The product is generated by the oxidation of GAP in a reaction catalyzed by glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase.
Steps for the reaction catalyzed by glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (2)
- The highly exergonic oxidation of carbon 1 in GAP to a carboxylic acid by NAD+
- The highly endergonic formation of glyceraldehyde 1, 3-
bisphosphate from the acid and orthophosphate.
How are the two reactions in the formation of glyceraldehyde 1,3-biphosphate linked?
These two reactions are linked by the formation of an energy-rich thioester in the active site of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase.
What would happen in the formation of glyceraldehyde 1,3-biphosphate reaction without the thioester intermediate?
The second step (formation of acyl phosphate) would have a large activation barrier and the reaction would be very slow.
Reaction mechanism of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate
dehydrogenase (4 steps)
- GAP reacts with a cysteine residue to form a
hemithioacetal. - A thioester is formed by the transfer of a hydride to NAD+.
- NADH is exchanged for NAD+. The charge on NAD+
facilitates the attack by the phosphate on the thioester. - Phosphate attacks the thioester, forming the product 1,3-
BPG.