GLYOXYLATE PATHWAY

Rahul p
2nd MSc Botany
What is glyoxylate pathway

 In citric acid cycle oxaloacetate has only one fate.

 But oxaloacetate can be converted to glucose.
 The two decarboxylation steps before the formation of OAA is not present in
glyoxylate cycle.
 Steps

 The reactions takes place inside 3 different sites

A. Glyoxysome
B. Mitochondria
C. Cytosol
GLYOXYSOME

1. Acetyl CoA produced after  beta oxidation of fatty acids condensed with
oxaloacetic acid to form citric acid.
Acetyl CoA + Oxaloacetic acid → Citric acid
2. Citric acid is dehydrated to produce cis-aconitic acid in the presence of
aconitase.
Citric acid → Cis aconitic acid
3. Cis aconitic acid reacts with one molecule of H2O to form iso-citric acid
Cis aconitic acid + H2O → iso citric acid
4. Iso citric acid is broken down in to glyoxylic acid and succinic acid by the
enzyme iso citratase.
Iso citric acid → glyoxylic acid + succinic acid
5. Glyoxylic acid combines with acetyl CoA in the presence of malate
synthetase to produce malic acid.
Glyoxylic acid + acetyl CoA → malic acid + CoA
6. Malic acid is oxidised in to oxaloacetic acid in the presence of malic dehydrogenase and the
co-enzyme NAD.
Malic acid + NAD → Oxaloacetic acid
Thus the cycle is completed and again OAA combines with acetyl CoA.

B. MITOCHONDRION

7. Succinic acid formed from the iso-citric acid moves into Mitochondrion and is converted
into OAA as in the Kreb’s cycle.
Succinic acid → OAA
8. OAA produced in the above reaction is decarboxylated in the presence of ATP to form
phosphoenol pyruvic acid.
OAA + ATP → PEP

C. CYTOSOL

9. Phosphoenol pyruvic acid moves into cytosol and by the reverse reaction of glycolysis
converted into glucose and fructose phosphate.
10. Glucose and Fructose phosphate are converted into sucrose.

After the conversion of fats into carbohydrates completed glyoxysomes get disappeared from
the cell.
 ADDED POINTS

 It is prominent in oil rich seeds like sun flower, Cucumber, caster beans.

 The carbohydrates power seedling growth untill the cells can begin photosynthesis.

 Thus, Organisms with glyoxylate cycle gain a metabolic versatility because they can use acetyl
CoA as a precursor of glucose.