Metabolism 2 Flashcards
What enzymes inside the cell phosphorylate glucose?
Hexokinases
What hexokinases are low in affinity for glucose? Where are they found?
Hexokinase-4 (glucokinase)
Liver + pancreatic β cells
What hexokinases are high in affinity for glucose? Where are they found?
Hexokinase
Brain, RBCs + muscle
The affinity of a hexokinase for glucose matches the affinity of the ___ in that tissue.
GLUTs
Briefly describe the anaerobic oxidation of glucose as in erythrocytes.
- Glucose converted to G6P via HK
- G6P converted to F6P via isomerase
- F6P converted to F-1,6-BP via PFK
- At this point 2 ATPs have been utilised
- Aldolase breaks F-1,6-BP down into dihydroxyacetone-P + Glyceraldehyde-3P (isomerase can interconvert them)
- Further investment of inorganic phosphate
- Series of reactions with various phosphorylated trioses to produce pyruvate
- Without O2, pyruvate is converted to lactic acid
How many ATPs does anaerobic glycolysis produce?
2
How is glycolysis linked to other biosynthetic pathways?
- G6P can be converted to glycogen/glycoconjugates
- F6P can be converted to glycoconjugates too or enter the PPP to produce nucleotides (DNA, RNA)
- Dihydroxyacetone-P can be converted to glycerol-3-P + be used to make triglycerides + phospholipids in lipogenesis
- Pyruvate can go into the mitochondria + become involved in oxidation or biosynthesis OR make AAs -> proteins
Where is most ATP formed? What process is used to do this?
Inside the mitochondrial inner membrane (location of ATP synthase)
Oxidative phosphorylation (involves ETC to create a proton gradient across membrane)
What do NADH and FADH2 do?
Carry electrons (reducing power) from catabolic reactions to the site of ATP synthesis
When oxygen is present and mitochondria are present, what is oxidised to produce ATP?
NADH + pyruvate from glycolysis
Why are mechanisms needed to transfer NADH into mitochondria?
It is not permeable through the mitochondrial inner membrane + it needs to get across so cells can harvest its reducing power to form ATP aerobically
How do cancer cells use glucose?
Anaerobically even when O2 is present (Warburg effect) which means they need to use glucose at a very high rate as this is an inefficient process
How many ATPs can be produced aerobically?
~36
What happens to pyruvate once it is imported into the mitochondria?
Oxidative decarboxylation via coenzyme A to produce acetyl-CoA, NADH + CO2 (by-product)
What are the products of fatty acid β-oxidation?
Acetyl-CoA
FADH2
NADH