Relationship of Glycolysis to Other Metabolic Pathways

Figure 13.1 schematically illustrates the pathways with which intermediates from glycolysis interact. These pathways include:

> 1. The amino acid, alanine, is synthesized and broken down through the glycolytic intermediate, pyruvate.

> 2. The glycerol portion of fats can be made or broken down through DHAP.

> 3. Fatty acids can be made or broken down using acetyl-CoA from the pyruvate formed in glycolysis.

> 4. Acetyl-CoA (from pyruvate) can enter the citric acid cycle. The citric acid cycle then produces the reduced electron carriers (NADH and FADH 2) that power electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation, producing substantial amounts of ATP in the process.

> 5. Glucose is produced as a breakdown product of glycogen or starch.

> 6. Glucose and Glucose-6-phosphate are intermediates in the conversion of other sugars. These sugars, in turn, are stored as polysaccharides (e.g. glycogen) or used to make nucleotides for making DNA and RNA.

See also: Amino Acid Transamination (from Chapter 21), Fatty Acid Oxidation, Glycogen Breakdown, Other Sugar Metabolism, Glucose, Starch,