Chapter 20, Problem 1E

Summary Introduction

To draw: How the actions of glycerol kinase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase on glycerol produce an intermediate of glycolysis.

Concept introduction: Glycolysis is the first step in the degradation of glucose. It breaks down glucose into pyruvate. The main purpose of the glycolysis is the production of ATP. In the downstream of the glycolysis, a modest amount of ATP is formed. However through the complete oxidation of pyruvate, more ATP is formed in the downstream processes of glycolysis.

Answer to Problem 1E

Answer: Fig.1 shows the actions of glycerol kinase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase on glycerol that produces an intermediate of glycolysis.

Pictorial representation: The action of glycerol kinase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase on glycerol that produces an intermediate of glycolysis is represented in Fig.1.

Fig.1: Action of glycerol kinase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase on glycerol

Explanation of Solution

Explanation:

The enzyme glycerol kinase acts on the L-glycerol and it forms L-glycerol-3-phosphate. In this reaction, ATP is converted to ADP. L-Glycerol-3-phosphate is converted to dihydroxyacetone phosphate by the enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. NAD⁺ is converted to NADH + H⁺ in this step. Both these steps are an intermediate reaction of the glycolysis.