Question

The synthesis of one molecule of glucose starting from pyruvate requires four molecules of water. One molecule of water is required for each of the hydrolysis reactions catalyzed by fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase-1 and glucose-6-phosphatase, respectively.
Which other gluconeogenic enzyme-catalyzed reaction requires water?
Why are two molecules of water needed by the latter reaction?

Answer 1

The pyruvate is converted into the glucose by the process known as the gluconeogenesis. As mention, there is requirement of four molecules of water for the synthesis of one molecule of glucose. One is used in the hydrolysis catalysation by the fructose 1, 6 diphosphatase and one by the glucose 6 phosphatase. In the synthesis of glucose from pyruvate. The pyruvate is firstly converted into oxaloacetate by addition of carbon dioxide (CO2), the expenditure of ATP and with the use of one molecule of H2O and the product formed is the oxaloacetate, Adenosine Diphosphate. This results in the utilization of one molecule of H2O in this reaction. The glucose is a 6 carbon containing compound whereas the pyruvate that is the substrate or the starting compound in the process of gluconeogenesis is a three carbon compound. Therefore, there are 2 pyruvate molecules that is used in the formation of glucose the 2 H2O comes from hydrolysis of 2 pyruvate molecule.

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