Krebs Cycle

TCA/ Citric acid Cycle

Plant Physiology and

Ecology
Bot-404
4(3-1)
• “Citric acid cycle is a series of enzyme catalyzed
chemical reactions used by all aerobic organisms to
release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl
Co-A into carbon dioxide and water”.
 General Description
➢ Krebs Cycle is so named due to the Germen
Chemist ‘Hans Krebs’ whose research on cellular
utilization of glucose contributed greatly to the
description of this mechanism.

➢ TCA and Citric acid Cycle is named to this cycle

as the first product formed is citrate and it has 3
carboxyl groups (COOH).
• Krebs Cycle is the second step involved in
aerobic respiration for which oxygen is
essential.

• Complete oxidation of pyruvate to CO2 and

water.

• It operates in mitochondrial matrix.

Structure of Mitochondria
 Mitochondria “Turning ON THE
POWER HOUSE”

• Mitochondria are the sites of cellular respiration

• Double membrane bound organelle; outer

membrane is smooth while inner membrane is
folded (to increase surface area for the
attachment of enzymes) into a number of folds
known as cristae.
• Both membranes are made up of phospholipids
and proteins.
• Outer membrane is permeable to ions and
nutrients while inner membrane is selectively
permeable that helps mitochondria to control the
inner composition of matrix.
• Matrix- a space enclosed by inner membrane is
a complex mixture of proteins, ribosomes,
fibrils, tubules and enzymes.
 Unlocking of some basic
terms
• OXIDATION:
i. Removal of electrons
ii. Gain of oxygen
iii. Removal of hydrogen
• REDUCTION
i. Addition of hydrogen
ii. Addition of electrons
iii. Removal of oxygen
• Isomerization
Same chemical formula but different structural
arrangement
• Phosphorylation
✓Adding a phosphate group to ADP.
• Decarboxylation
✓Shortening of carbon chain by the removal of
CO2.
• Dehydration
✓Removal of water molecule.
• Hydration
✓Addition of water molecule.
 Mechanism of Krebs cycle
i. Pyruvate (3’ carbon compound) formed in
glycolysis enters in a “linked reaction” before
entering krebs cycle.

ii. In this linked reaction, one molecule of PA is

converted into 1 molecule of Acetyl Co-A (2
Carbon compound).

Cycle has to operate twice for carrying out complete

oxidation of Acetyl Co-A.
 Linked
Reaction
• Oxidative
decarboxylation
• Oxidative-
Aerobic
process
• Decarbox-
Removal of
CO2
 1- Formation of citrate
Oxaloacetate (2’C) present in matrix of
mitochondria attach to acetyl Co-A (2’C) formed
during linked reaction and synthesize Citrate (6’C)
in the presence of enzyme citrate synthase.
 2- Formation of isocitrate
• Synthesis of isocitrate from citrate that is an
isomer of citrate (having same chemical
formula but different structural arrangement)
in the presence of enzyme aconitase.
• In this reaction, a water molecule is released
from the citric acid and then attach back on
another location of isocitrate.
The overall effect of this conversion is that the –OH
group is moved from the 3′ to the 4′ position on the
molecule. This transformation yields the
molecule isocitrate
Two successive
decarboxylation
reactions:
3. Isocitrate in the presence
of enzyme isocitrate
dehydrogenase undergoes
oxidative decarboxylation
and converts into α-
Ketoglutarate (5’C) by the
release of one CO2 molecule
and reduction of NAD+.
4. This α-Ketoglutarate again converts into succinyl
Co-A (4’C) by the release of one CO2 molecule and
formation of NADH2 in the presence of enzyme α-
Ketoglutrate dehydrogenase. This reaction also
involves addition of Co-A.
5. Succinyl Co-A converts into succinate in the
presence of enzyme succinyl Co-A synthetase.
This step involves removal of Co-A. The
enzyme succinyl-CoA synthase catalyzes this
reaction of the citric acid cycle.
6. Succinate in the presence of enzyme succinate
dehydrogenase oxidized into fumarate by the
reduction of one FAD+ that further undergoes
hydration process into malate in the presence of
enzyme fumarase.
7. In this final step, malate is oxidized into OAA
by reducing NAD+ in the presence of enzyme
malate dehydrogenase.
 Energy balance of Krebs Cycle
➢ Energy balance will be noted only of Krebs cycle as
linked reaction is not the part of this.
We know already that krebs cycle has to run twice for
the complete oxidation of glucose.
➢ So during this whole process 4CO2 molecules
(ignoring linked reaction) will be released.
➢ 6 NADH, 2 FADH2 and 2 ATP (GTP) molecules are
generated during two times operation of krebs cycle.
1 mitochondrial NADH= 3ATP,1 FADH2=2 ATP
➢ 6 NADH=18 ATP
➢ 2 FADH2=4 ATP
=2ATP
• Total ATP produced during krebs cycle=24 ATP
• During oxidative decarboxylation, 2 NADH are
generated that will be equal to 6 ATP.
➢ If we are asked about the energy balance of whole
process starting from PA to end of krebs cycle then
energy balance will be equal to 30 ATP.
▪ If we are asked about energy balance of complete
oxidation of glucose then it will be equal to 38 ATP
(glycolysis=8 ATP).
Summary and REVISION
 Significance of krebs cycle
• Intermediate compounds formed during Krebs cycle are used
for the synthesis of biomolecules like amino acids,
nucleotides, chlorophyll, cytochromes and fats etc.

• Intermediate like succinyl CoA takes part in the formation of

chlorophyll.

• Krebs cycle (citric Acid cycle) releases plenty of energy

(ATP) required for various metabolic activities of cell.

• By this cycle, carbon skeleton are got, which are used in

process of growth and for maintaining the cells.