Glycolysis, Study notes of Biochemistry

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Glycolysis

The Fate of NADH

We now return to the glycolytic process to explore the fate of NADH that is produced during this metabolic pathway.

NADH in Recycling in the Cytoplasm

• Aerobic Pathway
  • Aspartate/Malate Shuttle
  • Glycerol 3-phosphate-DHAP Shuttle
• Anaerobic Pathway
  • Lactate and the Cori Cycle
  • Ethanol production (in yeast) The glycolytic pathway yields a total of 2 ATP and 2 NADH molecules per Glucose processed. As we have learned, NADH can be utilized in the electron transport chain in the mitochondria to help generate the proton gradient required for the oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production. However, NADH cannot directly cross the innermitochondrial membrane and get into the matrix where NADH can be utilized. Thus, there are two primary ways that the electrons harvested during glycolysis can be transported into the matrix of the mitochondria. The first is via the Aspartate/Malate shuttle system that we learned about in gluconeogenesis. The second is the glycerol 3- phosphate – dihydroxyacetone (DHAP) Shuttle system. Alternatively, if aerobic respiration is not possible and NAD+ cannot be regenerated in the cytosol by these methods, pyruvate can be turned into lactate by lactate dehydrogenase and NADH can be recycled to NAD+ via this pathway.

Malate – Aspartate Shuttle System IM Space Matrix Aspartate Glutamate a-ketoglutarate Oxaloacetate Aspartate Aminotransferase a-ketoglutarate Malate Malate Aspartate Glutamate Oxaloacetate Aspartate Aminotransferase Malate Dehydrogenase Malate Dehydrogenase NADH NAD+ NADH NAD+ Here is the schematic of that shuttle process. Essentially oxaloacetate is converted to aspartate, where it is transported to the cytosol. Once in the cytosol it is converted back to oxaloacetate and can then be reduced to malate, using cytosolic NADH as the electron donor. The electrons are then carried back into the matrix of the mitochondria on the malate molecule where they re-enter the Kreb Cycle.

Glycerol-3 Phosphate – DHAP Shuttle Figure from Boghog Alternatively, depending on the concentration of metabolic intermediates, the glycerol- phosphate – DHAP shuttle may be employed to reoxidize NADH in the cytoplasm. In this shuttle, cytoplasmic glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, reduces dihydroxyacetone (DHAP) to glycerol 3-phosphate using the NADH generated in glycolysis as the electron donor. This restores the NAD+ pool for continued use in glycolysis. The glycerol 3- phosphate can then be oxidized back to DHAP using a glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme that is bound as a peripheral membrane protein in the innermembrane of the mitochondria. The electrons from the glycerol are then transferred to FAD forming FADH and restoring the DHAP pool. Similar to the succinate dehydrogenase enzyme, the FADH produced in this reaction can be transferred to a conenzyme Q electron shuttle in the innermembrane and enter the electron transport chain.

Anaerobic Metabolism in Animals

Pyruvate Lactate

Lactate

Dehydrogenase

NADH/H+ NAD+

Figure modified from Zlir’a In animals, muscle tissue can withstand short bursts of anaerobic metabolism. Under these circumstances, the tissue is not getting enough oxygen to produce ATP aerobically (ie you may be running away from a lion and not be able to breath fast enough to keep up with muscle tissue demand!) In this case, only glycolysis is available to produce more ATP. And even though only 2 ATP are produced per glucose, it is better than none! In this case, the NADH produced in the second half of glycolysis needs to be reoxidized back to NAD+ to keep running the glycolytic pathway. To do this, the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase reduces pyruvate to lactate and recovers the needed NAD+.

Formation of lactate allows recycling of NADH to NAD+ in the cytoplasm Figure from Boundless Biology, LumenCandella This is shown here in this diagram, where NAD+ is recycled in the process.