6) 1 points) Consider the metabolism of glutamic acid: ?? OH NH2 Assume that glu

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6) 1 points) Consider the metabolism of glutamic acid: ?? OH NH2 Assume that glutamic acid is consumed and is metabolized to generate palmitic acid (16 carbon, fully saturated fatty acid) as follows: first convert glutamic acid to a TCA cycle intermediate via deamination. Then convert this to oxaloacetic acid via the TCA cycle. Then convert oxaloacetic acid to pyruvate via beta decarboxylation. You have not seen the enzyme that converts oxaloacetate to pyruvate, but it does not use or create any ATP or redox compounds like NADH; it just undergoes a beta decarboxylation. Pyruvate then goes on to form palmitic acid via the normal pathways. (3 points) Glutamic acid will be deaminated to generate which compound in the TCA cycle? a. b. (4 points) Via the pathway described above, how many glutamic acid molecules are required to generate one palmitic acid molecule? (4 points) If you ate one gram of glutamic acid (MW 147) and converted all of it to palmitic acid, how many grams of palmitic acid (MW 256) would you make? c.

Explanation / Answer

a. The oxidative deamination of glutamic acid give ketglutaric acid and the anion of ketoglutaric acid (ketoglutarate) enters to the Krebs cycle.

b. Pyruvate molecule has 3 carbons which converts into acetyl CoA (2-carbon molecules) via decarboxylation. Acetyl CoA molecules ultimately give palmitic acid (16 carbon molecule). Since palmitic acid is 16-carbon molecules it require 8 molecules of acetyl CoA. One molecule of acetyl CoA is obtained from 1 pyruvate molecule (3 carbon molecule) and one pyruvate molecule is obtained from one glutamic acid. Thus, the number of glutamic acid required for biosynthesis of one molecule of palmitic acid is 8.

3. 1 gm of glutamic acid will make 0.217 gm of palmitic acid.

8 molecules of glutamic acid are required to synthesize 1 molecule of palmitic acid. The molecular weight of glutamic acid is 147 and the molecular weight of palmitic acid is 256 gm. Therefore 1176 (147 X 8) gm of glutamic acid will give 256 gm of palmitic acid.

Since 1176 gm of glutamic acid will give 256 gm of palmitic acid therefore 1 gm of glutamic acid will give 256/ 1176 = 0.217 gm.

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