Fat Storage & Transport Flashcards
When is fuel stored?
When energy-providing foods are consumed in quantities greater than needed at the time
What are lipids stored as?
Triacylglycerol
What stimulates fatty acid synthesis?
Insulin (fed state)
What are fatty acids synthesised from?
Acetyl CoA
Why does the liver carry out glycolysis in the fed state?
To produce acetyl CoA for fatty acid synthesis (and fat storage)
Where does fatty acid synthesis occur?
Cytosol of hepatocytes
How is acetyl CoA transported out of the mitochondria?
Combines with oxaloacetate to form citrate
Citrate leaves mitochondria in high glucose concentrations
Citrate –> acetyl CoA + oxaloacetate in cytosol
What is the first step in fatty acid synthesis?
Acetyl CoA + bicarbonate –> malonyl CoA
Acetyl CoA carboxylase
ATP –> ADP + Pi
What is the rate-limiting step of fatty acid synthesis?
Acetyl CoA + bicarbonate –> malonyl CoA
Why don’t newly synthesised fatty acids enter mitochondria for beta oxidation?
Malonyl CoA inhibits carnitine palmitoyl transferase
Describe the process of fatty acid formation
Malonyl CoA + acetyl CoA then remove carbon dioxide
Repeatedly add malonyl CoA and remove carbon dioxide
What cofactor is required for fatty acid synthesis? Where does it come from?
NADPH
Hexose monophosphate shunt
What enzyme catalyses the formation of fatty acids?
Fatty acid synthetase/synthase
What is special about fatty acid synthetase?
Large enzyme with many active sites
What is triacylglycerol formed from?
Glycerol phosphate
3 fatty acids
Where is glycerol phosphate sourced from?
Glycolysis
If there is excess glycerol, the liver can use glycerol kinase
What happens when glycerol phosphate and the fatty acids are joined together?
Phosphate is lost
To give a neutral/non-polar/uncharged molecule
Why are triacylglycerols modified before leaving the cell?
Water-insoluble
What is added to triacylglycerol during modification?
Apoproteins
Lipids with polar areas (phospholipids and cholesterol)
What is the general structure of a lipoprotein?
Inner core of triglycerides and cholesterol esters
Outer shell is made up of a single layer of phospholipids, cholesterol and apoproteins
What is the role of apoproteins?
Structure
Recognition by receptors
Activation of enzymes in lipid metabolism
What are the four classes of lipoproteins?
Chylomicrons
VLDL - very low density lipoproteins
LDL - low density lipoproteins
HDL - high density lipoproteins
What type of lipoprotein is the largest?
Chylomicrons
What type of lipoprotein is the least dense?
Chylomicrons
What do chylomicrons carry?
Mainly dietary fat
What do VLDL carry?
Mainly endogenous triacylglycerol
What do LDL carry?
Mainly cholesterol to tissues
What do HDL carry?
Mainly cholesterol from tissues to liver
What are nascent chylomicrons?
First-formed chylomicron from gut with apo B-48
What apoprotein do nascent chylomicrons have?
Apo B-48
How does a nascent chylomicron become a chylomicron?
In blood, picks up apo C-II and apo E from HDL
What part of triacylglycerols are taken up by adipose tissue?
Fatty acids