Energy Production: Carbohydrates Flashcards
what is the point of convergence during catabolism?
Acetyl Coenzyme-A
What is the first step of catabolism?
This is the breakdown of macromolecules eg Carbs, Proteins, Lipids to smaller molecules for absorption.
This involves short pathways where the C-N and C-O bonds get broken. No energy is released here.
What happens in the second stage of catabolism?
This is when these small molecules get broken down to metabolic intermediates via many pathways.
It is oxidative so it releases ‘reducing power’ (NADH) and ‘energy’ (ATP).
C-C binds are broken here.
What happens in the Krebs cycle?
This is the first stage that is the same for all forms of catabolism.
It is oxidative. This releases ‘reducing power’ (NADH, FAD2H) and some energy (GTP and ATP)
Acetyl CoA is also oxidised to CO2.
This cycle also produces some precursors for biosynthesis.
What is the final stage of catabolism?
Oxidative phosphorylation (electro transport chain and ATP synthesis). This is the conversion of 'reducing power' into ATP so lots of energy is released and NADH and FADH2 are deoxidised here. Oxygen is required to be reduced to H2O.
What is the purpose of the first stage of catabolism?
To convert nutrients to a form that can be taken up into cells.
Short pathways
Breakage of C–N and C–O bonds (not C–C)
NO USABLE ENERGY PRODUCED.
Where does the first stage of catabolism occur?
Extracellularly or in the GI tract. After, the molecules are absorbed from the GI tract into circulation.
Why is our carbohydrate intake lots more than the percentage of carbohydrates in our body?
Because Carbohydrates are our primary energy source.
What is the general formula of carbohydrates?
(CH2O)n They also contain an aldehyde (aldose) or keto (-C=O) group (ketose)
How many carbon are present in each oft these monosaccharides?
Triose?
Pentose?
Hexose?
3
5
6
How many single sugar units in a disaccharide?
2 units eg Sucrose which is disaccharide of glucose and fructose
How many single sugar units in an oligosaccharide?
3-12 units eg Dextrins
How many single sugar units in a polysaccharide?
10-1000s of units
eg Glycogen, Starch or Cellulose.
What are the three main dietary monosaccharides?
Glucose
Fructose
Galactose
What is minimum circulating glucose concentration? Why?
About 4.5-5mM.
To create a conc gradient so that a supply can be created to tissues.
What types of cells have an absolute requirement for glucose?
RBCs- as no stage 3/4 metabolism as no mitochondria
Neutrophils
Innermost cells of kidney medulla
Lens of eye
Brain (although, in times of starvation and if given time to adapt, it can use ketone bodies for some energy requirements)
How are carbohydrates first broken down?
Silivary Amylase -breaks starch and glycogen into dextrin
Pancreatic amylase - turns dextrins into monosaccharides.
Small intestine -disaccharidases attached to brush border membrane of epithelial cells break down disaccharides. Lactase (breaks down lactose) Sucrase (breaks down sucrose) Pancreatic Amylase (breaks a 1-4 bonds) Isomaltase (breaks a 1-6 bonds)
Why isn’t cellulose digested?
Why do we eat it?
Cellulose is not digested as it made form B rather than a glucose. and a and B glycosidic bonds are different.
However, we eat it because it increases the surface area for digestion.
What is Primary lactase deficiency?
This is the absence of lactase persistence allele
There is the highest prevalence in northwest Europe and it only occurs in adults.
What is secondary lactase deficiency?
Something happens in bowel (small intestine) to disrupt epithelia layer. Occur through: Gastroenteritis Coeliac disease Crohn's disease Ulcerative colitis
Occurs in both infants and adults and it is generally reversible.
What is Congenital lactase deficiency?
Very Rare!!
But, this is autosomal recessive defect in lactase gene where children cannot digest breast milk.
What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance?
Bloating / Cramps Flatulence Diarrhoea Vomiting Rumbling stomach
How is glucose moved from the apical side into the intestinal epithelial then into capillaries?
Active - (low to high) into intestinal epithelial cells by Na dependant glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1)
THEN.. Passive (high to low) via GLUT2 into blood supply.
(Na conc. kept low in the enthelial cells using NaKATPase)
Glucose is then transported via the blood supply to target tissues.
What are the different glucose transporters?
Glucose uptake into cells from the blood is via facilitated diffusion using transport proteins that are hormonally regulated:
GLUT1 - basal uptake. passive uptake.
In Foetal tissies, adult erythrocytes and blood brain barrier
*GLUT2 - inportant for glucose sensing to release insulin from pancreatic B cells. They are also present int he kidney, the liver and the small intestine.
GLUT3
*GLUT4 - in vesicles in cell. Insulin regulated so, when Insulin present, go into membrane and increase glucose uptake. They are also present in adipose tissue and in striated muscle.
GLUT5
(GLUT2 and GLUT4 are the most important ones.
What are the functions of glycolysis?
- Oxidise glucose (hexose) into 2 x Pyruvate (triose)
- Release a small amount of ATP (2 per glucose via substate level phosphorylation)
- Produce 2 NADH per glucose,
- Prodice C6 and C3 intermediates before making pyruvate.
What are the features of glycolysis?
- Central pathways of carbohydrate metabolism
- Occurs in all tissues (cytosolic)
- Exergonic, oxidative
- C6 to 2xC3 (no loss of CO2)
- Irreversible (as too exergonic to go backwards)
- With one extra enzyme, it is the only pathways that can operate anaerobically.
What is needed for glycolysis to occur?
Required 2x ATP and take some reducing power (but makes 4 so net gain of 2) .
What 3 key enzymes involved in glycolysis? and what is their role?
Hexokinase (glucokinase in the liver) - catalyse Glucose to glucose-6-phosphate
Phosphofructokinase-1 - catalyse fructose-6-phosphate to fructose-1-6-bis-phosphate
Pyruvate kinase - catalyse 2-phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate (last step).
They catalyse the highly exogenic steps and make the reaction irreversible
Why are there so many steps in glycolysis?
Chemistry easier in small steps
Efficient energy conversion
Gives versatility
-allows interconnection with other pathways
-allows production of useful intermediates
-allows part to be used in reverse
Can be finely controlled
When is glycolysis irreversible?
after step 3 (The conversion of fructose-6-phosphate to fructose-1-6-bisphosphate catalysed by phosphofructokinase-1)
This is the COMMITTING STEP
How is knowledge of glycolysis clinically useful?
Rate of glycolysis is up to 200x faster in cancer.
Can measure uptake of FDG (radioactively modified hexokinase) and the image with PET scan to find out where in the body a tumour is.
Substate concentrated in highly metabolising tissues (cancer) so, can be used clinically to find and diagnose cancer.
What is Glycerol Phosphate?
Why is it important?
It is an important intermediate in glycolysis.
Important to triglyceride and phospholipid biosynthesis
Produced from dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) in adipose tissue and liver.
Therefore, lipid synthesis in liver requires glycolysis (Liver can phosphorylate glycerol directly)
What is 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate?
Important glycolysis intermediate.
Produced from 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate in RBCs.
Regulator of Hb O2 affinity (promotes release).
Present in RBC at the same molar conc as Hb (5mM).
What is allosteric regulation?
This is when an activator/inhibitor binds away from the active site and affects activity.
Proteins (usually enzymes) have two sites:
Catalytic site where the substrate binds and the regulatory site. This regulatory site allows binding of specify molecules which affect catalytic activity by producing activation or inhibition.
Can also get covalent modification (phosphorylation / dephosphorylation) which affects activity.