Pentose Phosphate Pathway Flashcards
What are the four major pathways that utilize glucose?
- The formation of structural polysaccharides
- The formation of glycogen
- Glycolysis
- Pentose phosphate pathway
Glycolysis breaks glucose down into two molecules of _____________ in the cytosol of most tissues.
Pyruvate
The pentose phosphate pathway breaks glucose down into ____________ in the cytosol, which can then be used for nucleotide synthesis.
Ribose
When do we want glycolysis to occur within cells?
When ATP levels are low
How do we know which pathway will occur?
Cellular conditions of ATP concentration and NADP+ concentration in the cytosol
What are the two primary roles of the pentose phosphate pathway?
- Ribose synthesis
- Nucleotide formation (ATP, NAD+, FAD)
- NADPH production
- Anabolic/biosynthetic pathways
- Reducing environment
In what tissues is the pentose phosphate pathway a significant pathway for glucose metabolism?
In actively dividing cells, including skin, tumor, bone marrow, liver, and adipose cells
Why is NADPH important in red blood cells?
It provides the reducing environment required to counter the oxidative stress placed on them by oxygen exposure
The pentose phosphate pathway can be broken down into two phases. What are they?
- The oxidative phase
- The non-oxidative phase
What is the role and/or purpose of the oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway?
To produce ribose and NADPH
There are four enzymatic steps in the oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway. What are they?
- Glucose-6-phosphate is converted to 6-phosphoglucono-delta-lactone via glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
- 6-phosphoglucono-delta-lactone is converted to 6-phosphogluconate via glactonase
- 6-phosphogluconate is converted to ribulose-5-phosphate via 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase
- Ribulose-5-phosphate is converted to ribose-5-phosphate via phosphopentoisomerase
The pentose phosphate pathway begins with what molecule?
Glucose-6-phosphate
In the PPP, glucose-6-phosphate is converted to 6-phosphoglucono-delta-lactone via what enzyme?
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase
What type of reaction does glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase catalyze?
A redox reaction
What cofactor is required for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase to oxidize glucose-6-phosphate to 6-phosphoglucono-delta-lactone?
NADP+
What enzyme in the PPP converted 6-phosphoglucono-delta-lactone to 6-phosphogluconate?
Lactonase
What reaction does lactonase catalyze in converted 6-phosphoglucono-delta-lactone to 6-phosphogluconate?
Ester hydrolysis
What are the products of an ester hydrolysis?
A carboxylic acid and an alcohol
What enzyme catalyzes the conversion of 6-phosphogluconate to ribulose-5-phosphate?
6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase
What reaction does 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase catalyze?
An oxidative decarboxylation
What cofactor is required for 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase to facilitate the oxidative decarboxylation of 6-phosphogluconate to ribulose-5-phosphate?
NADP+
What enzyme catalyzes the formation of ribose-5-phosphate from ribulose-5-phosphate?
Phosphopentoisomerase
What reaction does phosphopentoisomerase catalyze?
An aldo-keto isomerization (a ketose to converted to an aldose)
What is the structure of glucose-6-phosphate?
What is the structure of 6-phosphoglucono-delta-phosphate?
C1 of cyclic glucose becomes a carbonyl (of an ester)
What is the electron movement (mechanism) for a cyclic ester hydrolysis?
Draw the mechanism for the cyclic ester hydrolysis of 6-phosphoglucono-delta-phosphate via lactonase.
Oxygen of carbonyl protonates forming an oxygen cation
Water attacks carbonyl carbon resulting in a temporary “diol”
A proton from water is transferred to the cyclic oxygen
A hydroxyl “kicks” back on the former carbonyl carbon, reforming a carbonyl, and is deprotonated (ultimately leaving behind a carboxylic acid on the former carbonyl and a hydroxyl group on the former cyclic oxygen)
6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase catalyzes an oxidative decarboxylation. This is also known as a ___-_____ decarboxylation because you must first form a ___-____ acid before decarboxylation can occur.
Beta-keto
Beta-keto