Lipid Metabolism Flashcards
Lipids are grouped by their
insolubility in water
Lipids have diverse biological functions:
- Principal source of stored energy
- Major structural elements of biological
membranes e.g. phospholipids, glycolipids
and cholesterol - Play important roles in metabolism:
enzyme cofactors, electron carriers,
emulsifying agents in the digestive tract - Inter- and Intra signalling events:
precursors of steroid hormones
Triglycerides are
lipids mainly used for storage of energy
Triglyceride structure
Glycerol bound to three fatty acid chains
Triglycerides are hydrophilic or hydrophobic?
hydrophobic
Saturated fatty acid chains have
no double bonds between carbon atoms
unsaturated fatty acids chains have
a double bond between carbon atoms
Polyunsaturated fatty acid chains
have more than 1 double bone between carbon atoms
Triglyceride metabolism:
- depending on metabolic requirements there are 2 major metabolic pathways:
- oxidation in the mitochondria to release energy in the form of ATP
- Synthesis of TG from malonyl-CoA (for storage)
What are the 3 stages to achieve complete oxidation of fatty acids to CO2 and H20?
- oxidation of long fatty acid chains to 2 carbon fragments in the form of acetyl co-enzyme A = beta oxidation
- oxidation of acetyl co-enzyme A to CO2 in the citric acid cycle
- transfer of electrons from reduced electron carriers to the mitochondrial respiratory chain
Beta-oxidation of fatty acid chains
- occurs in mitochondria
- successive removal of 2-carbon fragments as acetyl co-enzyme A from fatty acids
- Step 1: fatty acids activated by attachment to co enzyme A (in the cytosol)
- Step 2: transfer of acyl-groups across mitochondrial membrane through a carnitine shuttle
- step 3: progressive oxidation of fatty acids by removal of 2 carbon units to form acetyl co enzyme A, which enters the citric acid cycle.
Each removal of 2C results in the formation of 1 acetyl co-enzyme A, 1 FADH2, 1 NADH, all used to generate energy for the cell
Which step in beta oxidation is the rate limiting step?
Step 2
Transfer of acyl groups across the mitochondrial membrane via a carnitine shuttle
Carnitine shuttle
- activated fatty acids can be transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane
- enzymes called carnitine acyltransferase
- carnitine acytransferase 1 is on the cystolic side of the outer mitochondrial membrane
- removes co-enzyme A and adds carnitine
- passes through the carnitine carrier protein
- carnitine acyltransferase 2 is on the matrix side of the inner mitochondrial membrane
- removes carnitine and attaches co-enzyme A
Beta oxidation process with image:
- Step 1: fatty acids activated by attachment to co enzyme A (in the cytosol)
- Step 2: transfer of acyl-groups across mitochondrial membrane through a carnitine shuttle:
- activated fatty acids can be transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane
- enzymes called carnitine acyltransferase
- carnitine acytransferase 1 is on the cystolic side of the outer mitochondrial membrane
- removes co-enzyme A and adds carnitine
- passes through the carnitine carrier protein
- carnitine acyltransferase 2 is on the matrix side of the inner mitochondrial membrane
- removes carnitine and attaches co-enzyme A
Step 3: progressive oxidation of fatty acids by the removal of 2 carbon units to form acetyl co-enzyme A which enters the citric acid cycle.
Each removal of 2 carbon units forms 1 acetyl co-enzyme A, 1 FADH2, 1 NADH, which are used to generate energy for the cell
Beta oxidation 3 rd step:
Which step is this of what process, when does it stop
3rd step of beta oxidation which is step one of oxidation of TGs into CO2 and H20
once all carbon units are released
MCADD stands for
medium chain acyl Co-enzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency
Mutations oof Acyl-Co-enzyme A Dehydrogenase:
- does?
- results?
- usually diagnosed?
- what type of disorder?
- clinical symptoms?
- observed?
- inhibits the first stage of beta oxidation
- results in MCADD
- usually diagnosed after newborn blood spot testing
- autosomal recessive disorder of the ACADM gene
- symptoms: lethargy, hypoglycaemia, seizures, vomiting
- often observed after common illness or fasting
Co-A in cytosol used for
- other metabolic events and fatty acid biosynthesis
Co-A in mitochondrial matrix used for
fatty acid oxidation/ beta oxidation
Why is it called beta oxidation?
- alpha carbon becomes part of actyl co-enzyme A
- beta carbon remains till next cycle
First enzyme to interact with activated fatty acid in the mitochondrial matrix?
Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase
Oxidises alpha carbon
reduces FAD to FADH2 (used to make ATP)
Mutations in what enzyme of beta oxidation can cause SIDs
- acyl CoA dehydrogenase
- sudden infant death syndrome
Where does fatty acid synthesis occur?
Mainly in the liver and adipocytes
In the cytosol
Fatty acid synthesis brief description
long carbon chain molecules built up from 2 carbon unit derived from acetyl co enzyme A and 3c malonyl co enzyme A intermediate
Fatty acid synthesis occurs in the cytosol but acetyl CoA is mainly in the mitochondrial matrix, how does acetyl CoA get out of the mitochondria?
The citrate malate cycle