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TCA Cycle Notes1

[1] The citric acid cycle involves three phases: production of acetyl-CoA from fuels, oxidation of acetyl-CoA, and electron transfer. [2] Acetyl-CoA enters the citric acid cycle and is oxidized in a series of steps, generating NADH, FADH2, and GTP to capture energy from the reactions. [3] The eight steps of the citric acid cycle are: 1) citrate synthase, 2) aconitase, 3) isocitrate dehydrogenase, 4) alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, 5) succinyl-CoA synthetase, 6) succinate dehydrogenase,

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173 views

TCA Cycle Notes1

[1] The citric acid cycle involves three phases: production of acetyl-CoA from fuels, oxidation of acetyl-CoA, and electron transfer. [2] Acetyl-CoA enters the citric acid cycle and is oxidized in a series of steps, generating NADH, FADH2, and GTP to capture energy from the reactions. [3] The eight steps of the citric acid cycle are: 1) citrate synthase, 2) aconitase, 3) isocitrate dehydrogenase, 4) alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, 5) succinyl-CoA synthetase, 6) succinate dehydrogenase,

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Krizzi Dizon Garcia
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

Bryan Krantz: University of California, Berkeley


MCB 102, Spring 2008, Metabolism Lecture 8
Reading: Ch. 16 of Principles of Biochemistry, “The Citric Acid Cycle.”

CITRIC ACID CYCLE

Three Phases
[1] Acetyl-CoA production—Organic fuels (glucose, amino acids, fats)  Acetyl-CoA
[2] Acetyl-CoA oxidation—Acetyl-CoA enters TCA and is enzymatically oxidized; energy is
conserved in electron carriers, NADH FADH2
[3] Electron transfer—energy rich e- from NADH FADH2 reduce O2 to H2O
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex


The first reaction before you enter the TCA cycle is
the conversion of pyruvate into the two carbon
intermediate that is necessary for entry into the
cycle, acetyl-CoA–an acetate attached to
Coenzyme A (CoA).
Pyruvate + NAD+ + CoA  Acetyl-CoA + NADH + CO2
The enzyme is called Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex, which contains many coenzymes and
co-factors. The simplest pyruvate dehydrogenase enzyme in E. coli contains 60 subunits! Subunits
possess 1 of 3 activities: E1, E2 and E3. Other enzyme complexes are related & similar.
Overall Energetics. ΔGº’ is –33 kJ/mol—a strongly downhill reaction.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

Mechanism Overview
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

E1
Pyruvate dehydrogenase is the actual
dehydrogenase activity and first enzyme in the
complex.

Pyruvate + TPP  Hydroxyethyl TPP + CO2

Mechanism. E1 uses coenzyme, thiamine


pyrophosphate, or TPP, (from vitamin B1)—which is powerful electron sink. Mechanism is similar to
aldolase, where electron withdrawing power aids in breaking the C-C bond.
Carbanion carbon of TPP attaches to the carbonyl carbon of the pyruvate. The purpose of doing that
is to use the strong electron sink, which is the quaternary nitrogen, of thiazol to allow the
decarboxylation of CO2, because CO2 gets released. After decarboxylation and the addition of the
proton, you get hydroxy-ethyl TPP. This reaction is like that for the decarboxylation of pyruvate to
acetaldehyde.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

E2
Dihydrolipoyl transacetylase activity uses the lipoic acid modified lysine lipoyllysine. When acid
joins to an amine this makes an amide so sometimes this is called lipoamide. Cofactor is a long,
flexible extrusion, making an arm that can tilt to various sites in the complex.

Hydroxyethyl TPP + Lipoyllysine + CoA Dihydrolipoyllysine + Acetyl-CoA

Mechanism. (1) Lipoyllysine oxidize the


hydroxyethyl group; (2) the two-carbon unit
will become attached to the
dihydrolipoyllysine. The dihydrolipoyllysine
will swing away from E1 and transfer the
acetyl group to the coenzyme, CoA.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

Coenzyme A (CoA)
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

E3
Dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase enzyme oxidizes dihydrolipoyllysine by transferring the energy rich
electrons to an electron carrier, NAD+, via a tightly bound intermediary electron carrier, FAD.
Dihydroxylipoyllysine + NAD+  Lipoyllysine + NADH
FAD. The flavin group is the business end of FAD; it is not
linked to ribose, but to ribitol—a reduced product of ribose.
Then, it is linked to a pyrophosphate moeity, ribose and
adenine. FAD comes from vitamin B2. A closely related
coenzyme called FMN constitutes one half of this molecule,
where you cut after the first phosphate group.
First the electrons in the lipoyllysine are transferred to FAD.
In the second reaction, the oxidized form of FADH2 is
regenerated. The reason for all this is that unlike
NAD+/NADH that exist freely in solution, FAD and FMN
usually exist in close association with enzymes, so they
cannot float away. FAD is still connected tightly with the E3
enzyme.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

Citric Acid Cycle


Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

[STEP 1] Citrate Synthase. The first reaction is a synthase reaction, called such since a new
molecule is made but ATP is not used. (The latter is called a synthetase).
Oxaloacetate + Acetyl-CoA + H2O  Citrate + CoA

Mechanism. Claisen condensation reaction


from organic chemistry, where thioester is
combined with ketone. Methyl carbon of acetyl-
CoA attack the electron poor ketone carbon of
oxaloacetate. You have to abstract a proton, so
you produce a carbanion here. The carbanion will
attack this oxaloacetate carbonyl carbon. To
produce carbanion, the enzyme uses the general
acid/base mechanism with two His residues.

Energetics. The synthesis of the C-C bond here


is probably should not be a strongly downhill
reaction. To make this reaction strongly downhill, you use the high free energy difference gained by
the hydrolysis of this thioester to drive the reaction. The thioester hydrolysis has a ΔGº’ = –30 kJ/mol
so exothermic energy difference is almost entirely coming from the hydrolysis of the thioester.

Historic fight. It was thought that the synthase step was not the entry step into the TCA Cycle.
Citrate is a symmetric molecule (lacks a stereocenter.) However, radiolabeling studies showed that
the two symmetric carboxyl groups were not treated the same. Later, this was resolved: citrate is
close to being chiral (prochiral) and a prochiral substrate is treated as chiral if the enzyme is chiral.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

[STEP 2] Aconitase.
Citrate [H2O + cis-Aconitate ] Isocitrate

Mechanism. This is a dehydration reaction followed by a


hydration. The dehydration step is like enolase in
glycolysis. To facilitate the abstraction of the proton, you
pull the electrons strongly from the carboxylate. Enolase
did this by putting magnesium near the carboxylate
oxygen. Aconitase uses an iron-sulfur cluster cofactor
instead of magnesium to do this. Three Cys residues and
multiple Fe atoms make the cluster.

Energetics. The equilibrium favors citrate (ΔGº’ = 13 kJ/mol) but under normal physiological
conditions, isocitrate is favored. How?

Other Regulation. Aconitases also regulate iron uptake and metabolism in the cell.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

[STEP 3] Isocitrate Dehydrogenase. This is an oxidation coupled to a hydride transfer to NAD+.

Isocitrate α-keto glutarate + CO2

Mechanism. After hydride transfer, the enzyme uses a Mn2+-ion cofactor. The metal further enhances
the electron withdrawing power of the carbonyl, facilitating decarboxylation. α-keto glutarate is a β-
keto carboxylic acid. β-keto carboxylic acids are known to be unstable and have a natural tendency
to release this carboxylic acid group as CO2.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

[STEP 4] α-Keto Glutarate Dehydrogenase. This enzyme splits the carbon-carbon bond and is
related to pyruvate dehydrogenase.E1 and E2 are similar, and E3 is identical in sequence!
α-keto glutarate + CoA  Succinyl-CoA

Mechanism. α-keto glutarate


dehydrogenase works exactly like
pyruvate dehydrogenase. You have the
five coenzymes: TPP, lipoyllysine, CoA,
FAD and NAD+. These are all used, and
you get oxidation. The decarboxylated
product occurs as a thioester. The
product is succinyl-CoA. The thioester
in the succinyl-CoA will be utilized later
of course in an analogous manner.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

[STEP 5] Succinyl-CoA Synthetase.


Succinyl-CoA + GDP + Pi Succinate + GTP

Mechanism. Phosphorylysis reaction is followed by phosphoryl transfer to GDP, producing succinate


plus GTP. Note the phosphoryl group is transferred to the GDP via an intermediate that forms with a
His residue on the enzyme’s active site.
Energetics. Capitalized on the CoA thioester by capturing free energy as a GTP. GTP is as good as
ATP, because there is a free conversion of nucleoside triphosphates in the cell (by the enzyme,
nucleoside diphosphate kinase).
GTP + ADP  GDP + ATP where ΔGº’ = 0 kJ/mol
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

[STEP 6] Succinate Dehydrogenase. The next step is succinate dehydrogenase. Starting from
succinate and take away two hydrogen atoms to make fumerate. FAD is reduced to form FADH2.

Energetics. The reason we use FAD in this reaction rather than NAD+ is that the succinate is a rather
poor electron donor. The reduction potential of the succinate/fumarate pair is +0.03 Volts. There is no
way that you can use such a poor electron donor to reduce NAD+. The reduction potential of
NAD+/NADH is –0.32 Volts. That is why you use the FAD/FADH2 pair, which is much more oxidized.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

[STEP 7] Fumarase. The next reaction is called fumarase, which converts fumarate into a hydroxy-
dicarboxylic acid called malate. This is an addition of water across the double bond—a recurring
theme in the course.
Metabolism Lecture 8 — THE CITRIC ACID CYCLE — Restricted for students enrolled in MCB102, UC Berkeley, Spring 2008 ONLY

[STEP 8] Malate Dehydrogenase. Finally, there is malate dehydrogenase, which uses NAD+ to
oxidize this product malate to oxaloacetate. This process yields NADH.

● We talked about this reaction in gluconeogenesis as a way to get reducing equivalents into the
cytosol.
● Here the reaction completes the TCA Cycle, remaking oxaloacetate.

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