Citric Acid Cycle Enzymes

Help Questions

Biochemistry › Citric Acid Cycle Enzymes

Questions 1 - 10
1

Which citric acid cycle enzyme uses ?

Succinate dehydrogenase

Malate dehydrogenase

Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase

Citrate synthase

Explanation

Succinate dehydrogenase is the only enzyme in the citric acid cycle to use . The other dehydrogenases use while citrate synthase performs an unrelated reaction using acetyl-CoA.

2

Which of the following enzymes does not catalyze a reaction within the citric acid cycle?

Pyruvate kinase

Isocitrate dehydrogenase

Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase

Succinyl-CoA synthetase

Fumarase

Explanation

The only enzyme listed in the answer choices that does not catalyze a reaction within the citric acid cycle is pyruvate kinase. Pyruvate kinase is an important enzyme in the final step of glycolysis, as it catalyzes the conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate and ADP to pyruvate and ATP. This reaction is not contained within the citric acid cycle though, and therefore pyruvate kinase does not catalyze any reactions in the citric acid cycle.

Each of the other enzymes listed catalyzes reactions within the citric acid cycle, as follows:

Isocitrate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of isocitrate to alpha-ketoglutarate.

Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of alpha-ketoglutarate to succinyl-CoA.

Succinyl-CoA synthetase catalyzes the conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinate.

Fumarase catalyzes the conversion of fumarate to malate.

3

Which of the following enzymes catalyzes a reaction within the citric acid cycle?

Isocitrate dehydrogenase

Pyruvate kinase

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Phosphoglycerate kinase

Enolase

Explanation

The only enzyme listed in the answer choices that catalyzes a reaction within the citric acid cycle is isocitrate dehydrogenase, as it catalyzes the formation of alpha-ketoglutarate, carbon dioxide, NADH, and a proton, from isocitrate and .

Each of the other enzymes listed do not catalyze reactions within the citric acid cycle, but rather they catalyze reactions within glycolysis, as follows:

Pyruvate kinase catalyzes the conversion of phosphoenolpyruvate and ADP to pyruvate and ATP.

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, , and inorganic phosphate to 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate, NADH, and a proton.

Phosphoglycerate kinase catalyzes the conversion of 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate and ADP to 3-phosphoglycerate and ATP.

Enolase catalyzes the conversion of 2-phosphoglycerate to phosphoenolpyruvate.

4

Which of the following citric acid cycle enzymes catalyzes a reaction that results in the production of a molecule of ?

Succinate dehydrogenase

Isocitrate dehydrogenase

Fumarase

Pyruvate kinase

Aconitase

Explanation

The only enzyme listed that participates in the citric acid cycle and catalyzes a step producing is succinate dehydrogenase. Succinate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of succinate and FAD to fumarate and .

Pyruvate kinase is incorrect as it neither participates in the citric acid cycle (it is part of glycolysis), nor catalyzes a reaction that produces .

Isocitrate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of isocitrate and to alpha-ketoglutarate, NADH, , and CO2, but not .

Fumarase catalyzes the conversion of fumarate and to malate, but not .

Aconitase catalyzes the conversion of cis-aconitate and to isocitrate, but not .

5

Which of the following enzymes catalyzes the citric acid cycle step that directly produces succinyl-CoA?

Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase

Succinyl-CoA synthetase

Fumarase

Isocitrate dehydrogenase

Succinate dehydrogenase

Explanation

The citric acid cycle enzyme that catalyzes the reaction directly responsible for the production of succinyl-CoA is alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of alpha-ketoglutarate, , and CoA-SH to succinyl-CoA, NADH, , and .

Each of the other enzymes listed are enzymes that participate in the citric acid cycle, but not in the step the directly produces succinyl-CoA. Their general roles are as follows:

Succinyl-CoA synthetase catalyzes the conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinate.

Succinate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of succinate to fumarate.

Isocitrate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of isocitrate to alpha-ketoglutarate.

Fumarase catalyzes the conversion of fumarate to malate.

6

Which of the following statements regarding the function of the enzyme, succinyl-CoA synthetase, is a true statement?

Succinyl-CoA synthetase catalyzes the reaction responsible for the formation of succinate.

Succinyl-CoA synthetase is produced by the reaction catalyzed by alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase.

Succinyl-CoA synthetase catalyzes the reaction responsible for the rate-limiting step of glycolysis.

Succinyl-CoA synthetase catalyzes the reaction responsible for the formation of succinyl-CoA.

Succinyl-CoA synthetase directly catalyzes a citric acid cycle reaction that produces .

Explanation

The only correct statement within the answer choices is that succinyl-CoA synthetase catalyzes the reaction responsible for the formation of succinate. In this reaction, the citric acid cycle enzyme, succinyl-CoA synthetase, catalyzes the conversion of succinyl-CoA, GDP (or ADP) and inorganic phosphate to succinate, CoA-SH, and GTP (or ATP).

The incorrect answer choices are explained below:

"Succinyl-CoA synthetase is produced by the reaction catalyzed by alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase."

This is incorrect because it is succinyl-CoA that is produced by the reaction catalyzed by alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. Succinyl-CoA synthetase, the enzyme, is not produced by this reaction.

"Succinyl-CoA synthetase catalyzes the reaction responsible for the rate-limiting step of glycolysis."

Succinyl-CoA synthetase does not participate in glycolysis; it participates in the citric acid cycle. Furthermore, even in the citric acid cycle, it does not catalyze the reaction responsible for the rate-limiting step of the citric acid cycle.

"Succinyl-CoA synthetase catalyzes the reaction responsible for the formation of succinyl-CoA."

Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase catalyzes the reaction responsible for the formation of succinyl-CoA. Succinyl-CoA synthetase catalyzes the reaction responsible for the conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinate.

"Succinyl-CoA synthetase directly catalyzes a citric acid cycle reaction that produces ."

Succinate dehydrogenase directly catalyzes a citric acid cycle reaction that produces , not succinyl-CoA synthetase.

7

Which enzyme of the citric acid cycle is membrane-bound?

Succinate dehydrogenase

Succinyl-CoA synthetase

None of the Krebs cycle enzymes are membrane-bound

Isocitrate dehydrogenase

Aconitase

Explanation

Succinate dehydrogenase (also known as succinate-coenzyme Q reductase or complex II) is bound to the inner mitochondrial membrane. It participates in both the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain. Aconitase is an enzyme involved in glycolysis, not the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle).

8

Which of the following enzymes would be inhibited by the addition of NADH?

More than one of these

Isocitrate dehydrogenase

Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase

Citrate synthase

Fumarase

Explanation

All enzymes that have NADH as a product would be inhibited by the addition of NADH. The correct answers are citrate synthase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. Pyruvate dehydrogenase, which synthesizes acetyl-CoA from pyruvate, is also inhibited by NADH.

9

Which of the following enzymes catalyzes the rate-limiting step of the citric acid cycle?

Isocitrate dehydrogenase

Phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1)

Fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase

Succinyl-CoA synthetase

Pyruvate kinase

Explanation

The rate-limiting step of the citric acid cycle is catalyzed by the enzyme, isocitrate dehydrogenase. Isocitrate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of isocitrate and to alpha-ketoglutarate, NADH, a proton, and a molecule of carbon dioxide.

Phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1) is incorrect, as it catalyzes the rate-limiting step of glycolysis, not the citric acid cycle.

Fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase is incorrect, as it catalyzes the rate-limiting step of gluconeogenesis, not the citric acid cycle.

Succinyl-CoA synthetase is incorrect, as it catalyzes a reaction within the citric acid cycle that is not the rate-limiting step.

Pyruvate kinase is incorrect as the reaction that it catalyzes is neither within the citric acid cycle, nor a rate-limiting step.

10

Which enzyme catalyzes the conversion of citrate to isocitrate?

Aconitase

Aldolase

Citrate synthase

Citrate isomerase

Phosphate

Explanation

Aconitase is the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of citrate to isocitrate. This essential enzyme is vital in energy production, as it acts like an iron regulatory protein. The conversion of citrate to isocitrate is important since it is needed to react with isocitrate dehydrogenase.

Page 1 of 2
Return to subject