The pentose phosphate pathway contains an oxidative portion and a non-oxidative portion. 1. When glucose is oxidized using the oxidative pentose phosphate (OPP) pathway, what are the two main products formed from this pathway? (5 pts) 2. What is the main role of the OPP pathway in cells? (5 pts) 3. Comparing with the EMP pathway, which enzymes are shared between the non-oxidative PP pathway and the EMP pathway? (10 pts)
Read DetailsYou were tasked to analyze the oxidation rate of glucose by the EMP glycolysis pathway in vitro (in a test tube). You purified all 10 enzymes in the EMP pathway and supplemented glucose, NAD+, and ADP in the test tube. When you analyzed the product pyruvate over a period of time, you found that its concentration was increasing but quickly reached plateau. In order to monitor the rate continuously, you added more glucose in the test tube but found no increase in pyruvate. Your advisor suggested adding two more enzymes in the test tube, a pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) and an alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), along with glucose. You were happy to find out that glucose can be continuously oxidized now as long as you supply glucose. 1. What could be the reason that pyruvate stopped increasing in the beginning even with the addition of glucose? (5 pts) 2. What product would you expect to detect when PDC and ADH were added to the test tube? (5 pts) 3. How did the addition of PDC and ADH help with the continuous oxidation of glucose? (5 pts)
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