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Chapter 17: Q24. (page 586)

Which compounds would accumulate in an individual with beriberi

(caused by thiamine deficiency)?

Short Answer

Expert verified

In an individual with beriberi, pyruvate and α-ketoglutarate would accumulate.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Beri Beri:

Beriberi is a disease caused by vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency, usually due to chronic alcoholism as ethanol inhibits thiamine uptake.

02

Accumulation of substrates in the body:

Pyruvate dehydrogenase and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase act upon pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate, respectively. Both these enzymes require thiamine pyrophosphate as a cofactor.In the absence of this cofactor, both the enzymes fail to continue their enzymatic action. As a result, pyruvate and alpha-ketoglutarate, which are substrates for these enzymes, would accumulate in an individual's body in Beriberi illness.

Therefore, in beriberi, pyruvate and α-ketoglutarate would accumulate in the body of the individual.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Some human brain cancer cells contain a mutated form of isocitrate dehydrogenase that has lost its normal activity and instead catalyzes the NADP+-dependent reduction of the carbonyl group of α-ketoglutarate. Draw the structure of the reaction product.

(a) Explain why obligate anaerobes contain some citric acid cycle enzymes. (b) Why don’t these organisms have a complete citric acid cycle?

Malate generated inside the mitochondrion is translocated to the cytosol, where it is a substrate for cytosolic malic enzyme, which catalyzes the following reaction:

Explain how the activity of malic enzyme, which appears to catalyze a catabolic process, can promote biosynthetic reactions in the cytosol.

What citric acid cycle intermediates would accumulate in the presence of malonate?

Question: The action of malic enzyme opposes the action of pyruvate carboxylase. (a) Diagram the substrate cycle formed by these enzymes plus a third enzyme. (b) Write the net equation for converting malate to pyruvate and back to malate. What does this accomplish for the cell?
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