Glycogen synthesis and mobilisation Flashcards
glycogen is …
a store of glucose
what is the two roles of glycogen
- In the liver – it is used to maintain glucose levels in the blood
- In the muscle – it is used to maintain glucose supply to muscle during bursts of activity and contractions, this provides ATP aerobically or anaerobically
where is the majority of glycogen in the body
the muscles
what are the characteristics of glycogen as a store of glucose
- Easily to store and access therefore it is quick and easy to make and breakdown
- Stores glycogen
- Less osmotically active therefore doesn’t effect the water balance of the cells, it causes less water to come into the cell and this prevents bursting
- Acts as a glucose buffer
- The only tissue that can export glucose back to the blood is the liver
- Muscle glycogen can only go into glycolysis therefore it can only be used in the cell where that glycogen is
glycogen is a …
polymer of glucose
how does the chain of glycogen start
- Needs a primer (this is where the glycogen chain starts) – protein glycogenin
explain how the main chain of glycogen is formed simply
- Needs a primer (this is where the glycogen chain starts) – protein glycogenin
- Extended with 1-4 links to form a chain adding at the end
- We extend the chain at the carbon 4 end
- Glycogen synthase adds glucose to the chain making 1-4 links
is glycogen branched or not
- yes it is branched it has 1-6 branching
when does branching occur
every 12-14 residues
what does branching do to glycogen
- There are branches so there are more ends this means that it is easier to remove things and add things and helps with its solubility inside the cell as well, makes it easier to break of a branch of glycogen and convert it to glucose
how does branching occur
- Every 12-14 residues along the main chain a glucose is linked from carbon 6
- To become branched branching enzymes adds branches linked to carbon 6 – 1-6 linkages
what is the role of glycogen synthase
- Glycogen synthase adds glucose to the chain making 1-4 links
more complicatedly
- UDP-glucose has the enzyme glycogen synthase acts on it which takes the glucose of off UDP and adds it onto the glycogen chain this produces glycogen +1 and UDP
how is the glycogen chain extended and broken down chemically
- Start with glucose – 6 phosphate
- Move the phosphate from carbon 6 to carbon 1 producing glucose-1-phosphate this is a reversible reaction
- Energy is put in to the system via UTP (same type of thing as putting ATP in the system) this produces UDP attached to glucose and 2 phosphate groups joined together called PPi
- UDP-glucose has the enzyme glycogen synthase acts on it which takes the glucose of off UDP and adds it onto the glycogen chain this produces glycogen +1 and UDP
- Break down occurs through the enzyme of glycogen phosphorylase which produces glucose-1-phosphate and produces a glycogen chain which is 1 glucose less as it removes a glucose from glycogen
how do you control blood glucose levels (glycogen in the liver)
- Insulin increases glucose storage of liver and muslces – this is glycogen synthesis
- Glucagon – this releases glucose form the liver into the blood – breakdown of glycogen
how do you control glucose and glycogen levels in the muscles in order to provide energy to the muscles
- Adrenalin, calcium and contraction of muscle – cause glycogen breakdown to provide energy
when is glycogen synthase activated
- When glycogen synthase is in its phosphorylated from it is inactivated
- when it is dephosphorylated then it is activated
what causes dephosphroylation of glycogen synthase
- Dephosphorylation is promoted by insulin, this activates protein phosphatase-1 – when glucose is high in the blood insulin is released and therefore more protein phosphatase-1 is produced and glycogen synthase is activated by dephosphorylation