Biochemistry · MU Sofia

36. Catabolism of the Carbon Skeletons of Amino Acids

Covers how amino acids lose their amino groups by transamination or oxidative deamination, producing ammonia that is converted to urea and a keto acid whose carbon skeleton feeds into pyruvate, acetyl-CoA or oxaloacetate. It then classifies amino acids as glycogenic, ketogenic or both, with examples of each, and separates essential, nonessential and conditionally essential amino acids, listing the members of each group. Colour-coded diagrams distinguish the ketogenic and glucogenic amino acids.

Inside: 10 sections · 6 labelled pictures · 10 flashcards · 3 min

Topic 36 of 70 in the MU Sofia syllabus for Biochemistry (Medicine, Year 2). The free AceMed note covers it in 6 sections, about 326 words (3 min of reading), with 10 flashcards.

In this note

  1. Introduction
  2. BIOCHEM POINT 36: CATABOLISM OF THE CARBON SKELTONS OF AMINO ACIDS …
  3. Catabolism of the Carbon Skeletons of Amino Acids
  4. Glycogenic and Ketogenic Amino Acids
  5. Essential and Nonessential Amino Acids
  6. AMINO ACIDS

BIOCHEM POINT 36: CATABOLISM OF THE CARBON SKELTONS OF AMINO ACIDS …

Fatma Warsame

Catabolism of the Carbon Skeletons of Amino Acids

Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, undergo metabolism which involves their deamination and the subsequent fate of their carbon skeletons. This process is essential for energy production, synthesis of new compounds, and effective nitrogen balance management in the body.

Deamination:

  • Amino acids first have their amino groups removed, primarily through transamination or oxidative deamination.
  • This process produces ammonia (which is eventually converted to urea in the liver for excretion) and a keto acid.

Destiny of the Carbon Skeletons:

  • The resulting keto acids are further processed in different metabolic pathways, primarily entering the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle).
  • Depending on their structure, these keto acids can be converted into intermediates like pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, or oxaloacetate.

Glycogenic and Ketogenic Amino Acids

Glycogenic Amino Acids:

  • These are amino acids whose catabolism yields intermediates such as pyruvate or intermediates of the citric acid cycle (e.g., oxaloacetate, α-ketoglutarate, succinyl-CoA, fumarate).
  • Examples include Alanine, Glutamate, Aspartate, and others.
  • They can contribute to glucose synthesis through gluconeogenesis.

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