Biochemistry : Catabolic Pathways and Metabolism

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Biochemistry

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Catabolic Pathways And Metabolism

What reaction in beta oxidation does enoyl-CoA hydratase catalyze?

Possible Answers:

The removal of water across the carbon-carbon double bond

The addition of water across the carbon-oxygen double bond

The addition of water across the carbon-carbon double bond

The formation of a carbon-carbon double bond by adding water

The removal of water across the carbon-oxygen double bond

Correct answer:

The addition of water across the carbon-carbon double bond

Explanation:

Enoyl-CoA hydratase catalyzes the the addition of water across the carbon-carbon double bond. 

Enoyl coa hydratase rxn beta ox

Example Question #31 : Catabolic Pathways And Metabolism

Which reaction in beta oxidation does hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase catalyze?

Possible Answers:

Reduction of the beta hydroxyl group

Dehydration of the beta carbon

Dehydration of the carbonyl carbon

Oxidation the gamma carbon

Oxidation of the beta hydroxyl group

Correct answer:

Oxidation of the beta hydroxyl group

Explanation:

Hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase oxidizes the beta hydroxyl group, forming a carbonyl.

L hydroxyacyl coa dh rxn beta ox

Example Question #32 : Catabolic Pathways And Metabolism

What reaction in beta oxidation does thiolase catalyze?

Possible Answers:

Cleavage of the beta-ketoacyl-CoA

Cleavage of the sulfur-carbon bond

Cleavage of the alpha-ketoacyl-CoA

Cleavage of the sulfur-CoA bond

Cleavage of the beta carbonyl

Correct answer:

Cleavage of the beta-ketoacyl-CoA

Explanation:

Thiolase catalyzes the cleavage of the beta-ketoacyl-CoA.

Thiolase rxn beta oxidation

Example Question #33 : Catabolic Pathways And Metabolism

What are the two major products of the thiolase-catalyzed reaction?

Possible Answers:

Acetyl-CoA and a fatty acyl-CoA shortened by two carbons

Acyl-CoA and a fatty acyl-CoA shortened by one carbon

Acetyl-CoA and a fatty acyl-CoA shortened by one carbon

Thiol and a fatty acyl-CoA shortened by two carbons

Acyl-CoA and a fatty acyl-CoA shortened by two carbons

Correct answer:

Acetyl-CoA and a fatty acyl-CoA shortened by two carbons

Explanation:

The two major products of the thiolase-catalyzed reaction are acetyl-CoA and a fatty acyl-CoA shortened by two carbons.

Thiolase rxn beta oxidation

Example Question #11 : Lipid Catabolism Enzymes

The beta oxidation pathway can be described as __________.

Possible Answers:

cyclic

linear

inhibitor-regulated

anabolic

inhibitor-dependent

Correct answer:

cyclic

Explanation:

The beta-oxidation pathway is cyclic. Two carbons are removed from a fatty acid chain each time it goes around the pathway. If the initial fatty acid chain has an even number  of carbons then the final round of beta oxidation yields two copies of acetyl-CoA.

Example Question #11 : Lipid Catabolism

What is the final product in the beta oxidation of fatty acids with an odd number of carbons?

Possible Answers:

Acetyl-CoA and acyl-CoA

One copy of acetyl-CoA

Two copies of acetyl-CoA

Acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA

Acetyl-CoA and butyryl-CoA

Correct answer:

Acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA

Explanation:

In the last round of beta oxidation, fatty acids with odd numbers of carbons will yield acetyl-CoA and Coenzyme-A attached to a fatty acid with three carbons (propionyl-CoA)

Example Question #12 : Lipid Catabolism

Before a fatty acid is able to undergo the beta-oxidation pathway, it must first be activated to form fatty acyl-CoA and transferred into the mitochondrial matrix from the cytoplasm of a cell via the activity of several enzymes.

What enzyme is responsible for synthesizing fatty acyl-CoA to be transported into the intermembrane space of a mitochondria?

Possible Answers:

ATP hydrolase

Carnitine palmitoyl transferase II

acyl-CoA synthetase

Carnitine palmitoyl transferase I

Citrate synthase

Correct answer:

acyl-CoA synthetase

Explanation:

Three enzymes are ultimately involved in activating fatty acids as fatty acyl-CoA and transferring this molecule into the inner mitochondrial matrix to be broken down via the beta-oxidation pathway. The first enzyme is acyl-CoA synthetase. This enzyme is a type of ATPase, and it uses the thermodynamically favorable dephosphorylation of ATP to drive the synthesis of fatty acyl-CoA from a fatty acid and CoASH. Fatty acids alone cannot cross mitochondrial membranes, but fatty acyl-CoA can cross the outer membrane.

Carnitine palmitoyl transferase II also synthesizes fatty acyl-CoA  but acyl-CoA synthetase is the first enzyme to do so, and its dephosphorylation of ATP is what initially activates a fatty acid.

Example Question #14 : Lipid Catabolism

Fatty acyl-CoA enters the intermembrane space of a mitochondria via the enzyme acyl-CoA synthetase. Fatty acyl-CoA is the original input molecule of the beta-oxidation pathway, however, carnitine palmitoyl transferase I replaces the CoA with the molecule carnitine before being transported into the mitochondrial matrix.

Why does carnitine palmitoyl transferase replace coenzyme A with carnitine?

Possible Answers:

The reformation of fatty acyl-CoA from CoASH and fatty acylcarnitine within the mitochondrial matrix is a thermodynamically favorable reaction that drives the formation of ATP.

Fatty acylcarnitine can freely diffuse into the mitochondrial matrix through fatty acylcarnitine gates located on the inner mitochondrial membrane.

The carnitine carrier protein can only attach and transport fatty acylcarnitine across the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Carnitine is needed as an input to start the beta-oxidation pathway.

Fatty acyl-CoA is to unstable of a molecule to exist within the intermembrane space.

Correct answer:

The carnitine carrier protein can only attach and transport fatty acylcarnitine across the inner mitochondrial membrane.

Explanation:

The carnitine transport protein, known as the carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase, allows the facilitated diffusion of a fatty acid into the mitochondrial matrix. Fatty acids cannot be transported into the mitochondrial matrix alone.

Following this step, carnitine palmitoyl transferase II catalyzes the reaction that reforms fatty acyl-CoA from CoASH and the fatty acylcarnitine.

Example Question #35 : Catabolic Pathways And Metabolism

What enzyme involved in the first step beta-oxidation pathway? What redox cofactor is formed?

Possible Answers:

Enoyl-CoA hydratase; 

Acyl-CoA synthetase; 

Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase; 

Enoyl-CoA hydratase; 

Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase; 

Correct answer:

Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase; 

Explanation:

Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase converts fatty acyl-CoA to trans2-enoyl-CoA forming the high energy redox cofactor  from .

Example Question #13 : Lipid Catabolism

What enzyme is involved with the second step of the beta-oxidation pathway, and what input molecule other than trans2-enoyl-CoA is required?

Possible Answers:

Enoyl-CoA hydratase; 

Enoyl-CoA hydratase; ATP

Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase; 

Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase; ATP

Carnitine palmitoyl transferase I; ATP

Correct answer:

Enoyl-CoA hydratase; 

Explanation:

Enoyl-CoA hydratase uses hydrates the double bond between the alpha and beta carbons of trans2-enoyl-CoA by adding a hydroxyl group to the beta carbon and a hydrogen to the alpha carbon.

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