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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Citric Acid Cycle Enzymes
The enzyme aconitase is responsible for catalyzing which of the following reactions?
The conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinate
The conversion of citrate to isocitrate
The conversion of malate to fumarate
The converstion of isocitrate to alpha-ketoglutarate
The conversion of citrate to isocitrate
The first step of the citric acid cycle involves the combination of acetyl-CoA with oxaloacetate, producing citrate. Next, aconitase catalyzes the isomerization of citrate to isocitrate, via the intermediate known as cis-aconitate. The conversion of isocitrate to alpha-ketoglutarate is catalyzed by isocitrate dehydrogenase. The citric acid cycle involves the conversion of fumarate to malate, not the reverse, although some bacteria do the reverse citric acid cycle to produce complex organic compounds. Succinyl-CoA is converted to succinate via succinyl-CoA synthetase (also known as succinate thiokinase).
Example Question #1 : Citric Acid Cycle
Which enzyme of the citric acid cycle is membrane-bound?
Aconitase
None of the Krebs cycle enzymes are membrane-bound
Isocitrate dehydrogenase
Succinate dehydrogenase
Succinyl-CoA synthetase
Succinate dehydrogenase
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).
Example Question #1 : Citric Acid Cycle
Which of the following enzymes would be inhibited by the addition of NADH?
Isocitrate dehydrogenase
Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
More than one of these
Fumarase
Citrate synthase
More than one of these
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.
Example Question #2 : Citric Acid Cycle Enzymes
Glucose is converted to pyruvate through glycolysis, and pyruvate must then be converted into acetyl-CoA in order to enter the citric acid cycle.
What is the name of the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate into acetyl-CoA?
Pyruvate dehydrogenase
Aconitase
Pyruvate synthase
Phosphofructokinase
Pyruvate kinase
Pyruvate dehydrogenase
Each enzyme listed in the answer choices catalyzes a reaction in glycolysis or the citric acid cycle, but pyruvate dehydrogenase is the only one responsible for converting pyruvate to acetyl-CoA. Pyruvate is decarboxylated (removal of a ) and this is replaced with an S-CoA group, forming the necessary acetyl-CoA molecule to feed into the citric acid cycle.
Example Question #2 : Citric Acid Cycle
Which citric acid cycle enzyme uses ?
Malate dehydrogenase
Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
Succinate dehydrogenase
Citrate synthase
Succinate dehydrogenase
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.
Example Question #2 : Citric Acid Cycle Enzymes
Which of the following citric acid cycle enzymes carries out a reversible reaction?
Malate dehydrogenase
Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
Citrate synthase
Isocitrate dehydrogenase
Malate dehydrogenase
Malate dehydrogenase catalyzes the conversion of malate to oxaloacetate and vice versa, while the other enzymes are the three irreversible steps in the citric acid cycle.
Example Question #1 : Citric Acid Cycle
In the context of the citric acid cycle, the action of succinate dehydrogenase results in the formation of which of these?
Malate and
Fumarate and
Oxaloacetate
and Citrate
and Fumarate
Fumarate and
Succinate dehydrogenase catalyzes the reaction from succinate to fumarate. A byproduct of this reaction is the formation of from .
Example Question #1 : Citric Acid Cycle
Which of the following enzymes does not catalyze a reaction within the citric acid cycle?
Succinyl-CoA synthetase
Fumarase
Isocitrate dehydrogenase
Pyruvate kinase
Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
Pyruvate kinase
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.
Example Question #11 : Citric Acid Cycle
Which of the following enzymes catalyzes a reaction within the citric acid cycle?
Isocitrate dehydrogenase
Pyruvate kinase
Enolase
Phosphoglycerate kinase
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase
Isocitrate dehydrogenase
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.
Example Question #11 : Citric Acid Cycle Enzymes
Which of the following citric acid cycle enzymes catalyzes a reaction that results in the production of a molecule of ?
Pyruvate kinase
Aconitase
Isocitrate dehydrogenase
Succinate dehydrogenase
Fumarase
Succinate dehydrogenase
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 .
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