Carbohydrate Synthesis

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Biochemistry › Carbohydrate Synthesis

Questions 1 - 10
1

What two molecules are the links between the urea cycle and gluconeogenesis?

Fumarate and aspartate

Fumarate and citrate

Citrate and aspartate

Oxaloacetate and fumarate

Oxaloacetate and citrate

Explanation

Aspartate can form arginosuccinate, which can then release a fumarate molecule. The fumarate can enter into the Krebs cycle and eventually the pathway can lead to gluconeogenesis. The arginine from the arginosuccinate can continue through the urea cycle.

2

What two molecules are the links between the urea cycle and gluconeogenesis?

Fumarate and aspartate

Fumarate and citrate

Citrate and aspartate

Oxaloacetate and fumarate

Oxaloacetate and citrate

Explanation

Aspartate can form arginosuccinate, which can then release a fumarate molecule. The fumarate can enter into the Krebs cycle and eventually the pathway can lead to gluconeogenesis. The arginine from the arginosuccinate can continue through the urea cycle.

3

Which of the following carbohydrates cannot be continuously linearized with glycosidic bonds?

Sucrose

Lactose

Glycogen

Galactose

Explanation

In order to linearize using a linkage, there needs to be an unbound carbon on the 1 position. However, sucrose is a linkage and doesn't have a carbon available to linearize in the 1 position. It isn't a reducing sugar and therefore cannot be linearized. All of the other sugars have their anomeric carbon located at the 1 position and all of them are reducing sugars that can be linearized.

4

Which of the following carbohydrates cannot be continuously linearized with glycosidic bonds?

Sucrose

Lactose

Glycogen

Galactose

Explanation

In order to linearize using a linkage, there needs to be an unbound carbon on the 1 position. However, sucrose is a linkage and doesn't have a carbon available to linearize in the 1 position. It isn't a reducing sugar and therefore cannot be linearized. All of the other sugars have their anomeric carbon located at the 1 position and all of them are reducing sugars that can be linearized.

5

One of the key enzymes in the pentose phosphate pathway is glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH). This enzyme is responsible for oxidizing glucose-6-phosphate into the next intermediate in the pathway, with co-occuring production of NADPH. Which of the following is most likely to be true about the regulation of this enzyme?

G6PDH is activated by

G6PDH is inhibited by

G6PDH is activated by

G6PDH is inhibited by

None of these

Explanation

From the question stem, we are told that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase oxidized glucose into another compound, and also produces a molecule of NADPH in the process. In order to determine the way in which this enzyme is likely to be regulated, it's important to consider feedback mechanics.

Since this enzyme is producing NADPH when it is turned on, we would expect this product to negatively regulate the enzyme via feedback inhibition. Moreover, since we know that is a reactant, we can correctly assume that having a high concentration of this will likely drive the reaction forward by turning the enzyme on. Thus, would be expected to allosterically activate this enzyme. Furthermore, the question stem tells us nothing about the unphosphorylated forms of these cofactors, therefore we have no way of knowing how many NADH or affects this enzyme, if they do at all.

6

One of the key enzymes in the pentose phosphate pathway is glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH). This enzyme is responsible for oxidizing glucose-6-phosphate into the next intermediate in the pathway, with co-occuring production of NADPH. Which of the following is most likely to be true about the regulation of this enzyme?

G6PDH is activated by

G6PDH is inhibited by

G6PDH is activated by

G6PDH is inhibited by

None of these

Explanation

From the question stem, we are told that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase oxidized glucose into another compound, and also produces a molecule of NADPH in the process. In order to determine the way in which this enzyme is likely to be regulated, it's important to consider feedback mechanics.

Since this enzyme is producing NADPH when it is turned on, we would expect this product to negatively regulate the enzyme via feedback inhibition. Moreover, since we know that is a reactant, we can correctly assume that having a high concentration of this will likely drive the reaction forward by turning the enzyme on. Thus, would be expected to allosterically activate this enzyme. Furthermore, the question stem tells us nothing about the unphosphorylated forms of these cofactors, therefore we have no way of knowing how many NADH or affects this enzyme, if they do at all.

7

One important chemical transformation that occurs in the pentose phosphate pathway is the conversion of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) to ribulose-5-phosphate (R5P), which is shown below.

The conversion shown above is an example of which of the following type of reaction?

Oxidation of glucose-6-phosphate

Carboxylation of glucose-6-phosphate

Reduction of glucose-6-phosphate

Isomerization of glucose-6-phosphate

Phosphorylation of glucose-6-phosphate

Explanation

From the question stem, we are shown the reaction in which glucose-6-phosphate is transformed into ribulose-5-phosphate. We are then asked to determine which type of reaction is occurring in this process.

We can also notice from the reaction that is a reactant, and is a product. Therefore, the is being reduced to form . In order for this reduction reaction to happen, there needs to be a simultaneous oxidation reaction occurring, since the electrons need to come from somewhere. In this case, the electrons are coming from glucose-6-phosphate. Therefore, as is reduced to , glucose-6-phosphate is oxidized to ribulose-5-phosphate. Thus, this is an oxidation reaction.

Also, it's important to note that this is not a carboxylation reaction. In fact, it is actually a decarboxylation reaction, since one of the carbon atoms on glucose is converted into carbon dioxide.

Moreover, this is also not a phosphorylation reaction, as the reactant and products have an equal number of phosphate groups.

And lastly, this is not an isomerization reaction because glucose-6-phosphate and ribulose-5-phosphate have different molecular formulas, thus they cannot ever be structural isomers.

8

Given that the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is product-inhibited, which of the following molecules would act as an inhibitor to it?

Acetyl-CoA

Pyruvate

Phosphoenolpyruvate

Explanation

The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex catalyzes the following reaction:

Since it is product inhibited, acetyl-CoA will inhibit the complex.

9

One important chemical transformation that occurs in the pentose phosphate pathway is the conversion of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) to ribulose-5-phosphate (R5P), which is shown below.

The conversion shown above is an example of which of the following type of reaction?

Oxidation of glucose-6-phosphate

Carboxylation of glucose-6-phosphate

Reduction of glucose-6-phosphate

Isomerization of glucose-6-phosphate

Phosphorylation of glucose-6-phosphate

Explanation

From the question stem, we are shown the reaction in which glucose-6-phosphate is transformed into ribulose-5-phosphate. We are then asked to determine which type of reaction is occurring in this process.

We can also notice from the reaction that is a reactant, and is a product. Therefore, the is being reduced to form . In order for this reduction reaction to happen, there needs to be a simultaneous oxidation reaction occurring, since the electrons need to come from somewhere. In this case, the electrons are coming from glucose-6-phosphate. Therefore, as is reduced to , glucose-6-phosphate is oxidized to ribulose-5-phosphate. Thus, this is an oxidation reaction.

Also, it's important to note that this is not a carboxylation reaction. In fact, it is actually a decarboxylation reaction, since one of the carbon atoms on glucose is converted into carbon dioxide.

Moreover, this is also not a phosphorylation reaction, as the reactant and products have an equal number of phosphate groups.

And lastly, this is not an isomerization reaction because glucose-6-phosphate and ribulose-5-phosphate have different molecular formulas, thus they cannot ever be structural isomers.

10

When would you expect glycogen synthase to be activated?

When protein phosphatase I is activated

When there is a low concentration of glucose in the blood

When glucagon is in high concentration

When glycogen synthase is phosphorylated

When protein kinase A is activated

Explanation

Glycogen synthase is turned on when unphosphorylated. The enzyme responsible for this is protein phosphatase I. Protein kinase A inactivates glycogen synthase. Low glucose concentration causes a release in glucagon, which activates glycogen phosphorylase and deactivates glycogen synthase.

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