Case #1
1. Recognize the structure of a triacylglycerol and identify how many carbons are
in each fatty acid, and whether or not the fatty acid is saturated or not.
- Ester linkage: carbonyl connected to an OR group
- First carbon is the carbon involved in the carbonyl
- Saturated vs. Unsaturated
- Unsaturated- double bond(s) present
- Saturated- no double bonds present
- Gray: glycerol molecule
2. Describe where and how fatty acids are activated and transported into the
mitochondria for oxidation and name the products of fatty acid oxidation.
a. First! Triacylglycerol is converted into glycerol and fatty acids by lipase.
- Fatty acid activation: (requires 2 ATP equivalents)
- Step 1: fatty acid converted to acyl adenylate
, - Occurs in outer membrane of mitochondria
- Step 2: acyl adenylate converted to Acyl CoA
- Steps above catalyzed by acyl CoA synthetase
- Fatty Acid Translocation
- Fatty acid oxidation takes place in the mitochondrial matrix
- Activated fatty acids cross outer mitochondrial membrane through
porin channel
- Transport across inner membrane requires fatty acids to be linked
to carnitine
- Fatty acid degradation: beta oxidation
- Acyl CoA broken down into Acetyl CoA molecules
- Glycerol metabolism
- Glycerol is converted into dihydroxyacetone phosphate, which is
converted into glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, which is used in both
gluconeogenesis and glycolysis
1. Recognize the structure of a triacylglycerol and identify how many carbons are
in each fatty acid, and whether or not the fatty acid is saturated or not.
- Ester linkage: carbonyl connected to an OR group
- First carbon is the carbon involved in the carbonyl
- Saturated vs. Unsaturated
- Unsaturated- double bond(s) present
- Saturated- no double bonds present
- Gray: glycerol molecule
2. Describe where and how fatty acids are activated and transported into the
mitochondria for oxidation and name the products of fatty acid oxidation.
a. First! Triacylglycerol is converted into glycerol and fatty acids by lipase.
- Fatty acid activation: (requires 2 ATP equivalents)
- Step 1: fatty acid converted to acyl adenylate
, - Occurs in outer membrane of mitochondria
- Step 2: acyl adenylate converted to Acyl CoA
- Steps above catalyzed by acyl CoA synthetase
- Fatty Acid Translocation
- Fatty acid oxidation takes place in the mitochondrial matrix
- Activated fatty acids cross outer mitochondrial membrane through
porin channel
- Transport across inner membrane requires fatty acids to be linked
to carnitine
- Fatty acid degradation: beta oxidation
- Acyl CoA broken down into Acetyl CoA molecules
- Glycerol metabolism
- Glycerol is converted into dihydroxyacetone phosphate, which is
converted into glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, which is used in both
gluconeogenesis and glycolysis
