Oxaloacetic acid (also known as oxalacetic acid or OAA) is a crystalline
organic compound
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. Th ...
with the
chemical formula
In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, ...
HO
2CC(O)CH
2CO
2H. Oxaloacetic acid, in the form of its
conjugate base
A conjugate acid, within the Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, is a chemical compound formed when an acid donates a proton () to a base—in other words, it is a base with a hydrogen ion added to it, as in the reverse reaction it loses a ...
oxaloacetate, is a metabolic intermediate in many processes that occur in animals. It takes part in
gluconeogenesis
Gluconeogenesis (GNG) is a metabolic pathway that results in the generation of glucose from certain non- carbohydrate carbon substrates. It is a ubiquitous process, present in plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms. In verteb ...
, the
urea cycle
The urea cycle (also known as the ornithine cycle) is a cycle of biochemical reactions that produces urea (NH2)2CO from ammonia (NH3). Animals that use this cycle, mainly amphibians and mammals, are called ureotelic.
The urea cycle converts h ...
, the
glyoxylate cycle,
amino acid synthesis
Amino acid synthesis is the set of biochemical processes (metabolic pathways) by which the amino acids are produced. The substrates for these processes are various compounds in the organism's diet or growth media. Not all organisms are able to sy ...
,
fatty acid synthesis
In biochemistry, fatty acid synthesis is the creation of fatty acids from acetyl-CoA and NADPH through the action of enzymes called fatty acid synthases. This process takes place in the cytoplasm of the cell. Most of the acetyl-CoA which is co ...
and the
citric acid cycle
The citric acid cycle (CAC)—also known as the Krebs cycle or the TCA cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle)—is a series of chemical reactions to release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and prot ...
.
[
]
Properties
Oxaloacetic acid undergoes successive deprotonations to give the dianion:
:HO2CC(O)CH2CO2H −O2CC(O)CH2CO2H + H+, pKa = 2.22
:−O2CC(O)CH2CO2H −O2CC(O)CH2CO2− + H+, pKa = 3.89
At high pH, the enolizable proton is ionized:
:−O2CC(O)CH2CO2− −O2CC(O−)CHCO2− + H+, pKa = 13.03
The enol
In organic chemistry, alkenols (shortened to enols) are a type of reactive structure or intermediate in organic chemistry that is represented as an alkene ( olefin) with a hydroxyl group attached to one end of the alkene double bond (). T ...
forms of oxaloacetic acid are particularly stable, so much so that the two tautomers
Tautomers () are structural isomers (constitutional isomers) of chemical compounds that readily interconvert.
The chemical reaction interconverting the two is called tautomerization. This conversion commonly results from the relocation of a hyd ...
have different melting points (152 °C for the ''cis'' isoform and 184 °C for the ''trans'' isoform). This reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme oxaloacetate tautomerase
In enzymology, an oxaloacetate tautomerase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
:keto-oxaloacetate \rightleftharpoons enol-oxaloacetate
Hence, this enzyme has one substrate, keto-oxaloacetate, and one product, enol-oxaloacetat ...
. ''trans''-Enol-oxaloacetate also appears when tartrate is the substrate for fumarase.
Biosynthesis
Oxaloacetate forms in several ways in nature. A principal route is upon oxidation
Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or ...
of L-malate, catalyzed by malate dehydrogenase, in the citric acid cycle. Malate is also oxidized by succinate dehydrogenase
Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) or succinate-coenzyme Q reductase (SQR) or respiratory complex II is an enzyme complex, found in many bacterial cells and in the inner mitochondrial membrane of eukaryotes. It is the only enzyme that participates ...
in a slow reaction with the initial product being enol-oxaloacetate.
It also arises from the condensation of pyruvate
Pyruvic acid (CH3COCOOH) is the simplest of the alpha-keto acids, with a carboxylic acid and a ketone functional group. Pyruvate, the conjugate base, CH3COCOO−, is an intermediate in several metabolic pathways throughout the cell.
Pyruvic a ...
with carbonic acid, driven by the hydrolysis of ATP:
:CH3C(O)CO2− + HCO3− + ATP → −O2CCH2C(O)CO2− + ADP + Pi
Occurring in the mesophyll
A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, ...
of plants, this process proceeds via phosphoenolpyruvate, catalysed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase.
Oxaloacetate can also arise from trans-
Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of".
Used alone, trans may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Trans (festival), a former festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
* ''Trans'' (fil ...
or de- amination of aspartic acid
Aspartic acid (symbol Asp or D; the ionic form is known as aspartate), is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Like all other amino acids, it contains an amino group and a carboxylic acid. Its α-amino group is in the pro ...
.
Biochemical functions
Oxaloacetate is an intermediate of the citric acid cycle
The citric acid cycle (CAC)—also known as the Krebs cycle or the TCA cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle)—is a series of chemical reactions to release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and prot ...
, where it reacts with acetyl-CoA
Acetyl-CoA (acetyl coenzyme A) is a molecule that participates in many biochemical reactions in protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. Its main function is to deliver the acetyl group to the citric acid cycle (Krebs cycle) to be oxidized for ...
to form citrate, catalyzed by citrate synthase. It is also involved in gluconeogenesis
Gluconeogenesis (GNG) is a metabolic pathway that results in the generation of glucose from certain non- carbohydrate carbon substrates. It is a ubiquitous process, present in plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms. In verteb ...
, the urea cycle
The urea cycle (also known as the ornithine cycle) is a cycle of biochemical reactions that produces urea (NH2)2CO from ammonia (NH3). Animals that use this cycle, mainly amphibians and mammals, are called ureotelic.
The urea cycle converts h ...
, the glyoxylate cycle, amino acid synthesis
Amino acid synthesis is the set of biochemical processes (metabolic pathways) by which the amino acids are produced. The substrates for these processes are various compounds in the organism's diet or growth media. Not all organisms are able to sy ...
, and fatty acid synthesis
In biochemistry, fatty acid synthesis is the creation of fatty acids from acetyl-CoA and NADPH through the action of enzymes called fatty acid synthases. This process takes place in the cytoplasm of the cell. Most of the acetyl-CoA which is co ...
. Oxaloacetate is also a potent inhibitor of complex II.
Gluconeogenesis
Gluconeogenesis
Gluconeogenesis (GNG) is a metabolic pathway that results in the generation of glucose from certain non- carbohydrate carbon substrates. It is a ubiquitous process, present in plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms. In verteb ...
is a metabolic pathway consisting of a series of eleven enzyme-catalyzed reactions, resulting in the generation of glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, u ...
from non-carbohydrates substrates. The beginning of this process takes place in the mitochondrial matrix, where pyruvate
Pyruvic acid (CH3COCOOH) is the simplest of the alpha-keto acids, with a carboxylic acid and a ketone functional group. Pyruvate, the conjugate base, CH3COCOO−, is an intermediate in several metabolic pathways throughout the cell.
Pyruvic a ...
molecules are found. A pyruvate molecule is carboxylated by a pyruvate carboxylase enzyme, activated by a molecule each of ATP and water. This reaction results in the formation of oxaloacetate. NADH reduces oxaloacetate to malate
Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms (L ...
. This transformation is needed to transport the molecule out of the mitochondria
A mitochondrion (; ) is an organelle found in the cells of most Eukaryotes, such as animals, plants and fungi. Mitochondria have a double membrane structure and use aerobic respiration to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used ...
. Once in the cytosol, malate is oxidized to oxaloacetate again using NAD+. Then oxaloacetate remains in the cytosol, where the rest of reactions will take place. Oxaloacetate is later decarboxylated and phosphorylated by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and becomes 2-phosphoenolpyruvate
Phosphoenolpyruvate (2-phosphoenolpyruvate, PEP) is the ester derived from the enol of pyruvate and phosphate. It exists as an anion. PEP is an important intermediate in biochemistry. It has the highest-energy phosphate bond found (−61.9 kJ/m ...
using guanosine triphosphate
Guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP) is a purine nucleoside triphosphate. It is one of the building blocks needed for the synthesis of RNA during the transcription process. Its structure is similar to that of the guanosine nucleoside, the only ...
(GTP) as phosphate source. Glucose is obtained after further downstream processing.
Urea cycle
The urea cycle
The urea cycle (also known as the ornithine cycle) is a cycle of biochemical reactions that produces urea (NH2)2CO from ammonia (NH3). Animals that use this cycle, mainly amphibians and mammals, are called ureotelic.
The urea cycle converts h ...
is a metabolic pathway that results in the formation of urea
Urea, also known as carbamide, is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest amide of carbamic acid.
Urea serves an important ...
using one ammonium molecule from degraded amino acids, another ammonium group from aspartate and one bicarbonate molecule.[ This route commonly occurs in hepatocytes. The reactions related to the urea cycle produce NADH, and NADH can be produced in two different ways. One of these uses oxaloacetate. In the cytosol there are ]fumarate
Fumaric acid is an organic compound with the formula HO2CCH=CHCO2H. A white solid, fumaric acid occurs widely in nature. It has a fruit-like taste and has been used as a food additive. Its E number is E297.
The salts and esters are known as ...
molecules. Fumarate can be transformed into malate
Malic acid is an organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a dicarboxylic acid that is made by all living organisms, contributes to the sour taste of fruits, and is used as a food additive. Malic acid has two stereoisomeric forms (L ...
by the actions of the enzyme fumarase. Malate is acted on by malate dehydrogenase to become oxaloacetate, producing a molecule of NADH. After that, oxaloacetate will be recycled to aspartate
Aspartic acid (symbol Asp or D; the ionic form is known as aspartate), is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Like all other amino acids, it contains an amino group and a carboxylic acid. Its α-amino group is in the pro ...
, as transaminases prefer these keto acids over the others. This recycling maintains the flow of nitrogen
Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...
into the cell.
Glyoxylate cycle
The glyoxylate cycle is a variant of the citric acid cycle. It is an anabolic
Anabolism () is the set of metabolic pathways that construct molecules from smaller units. These reactions require energy, known also as an endergonic process. Anabolism is the building-up aspect of metabolism, whereas catabolism is the breakin ...
pathway occurring in plants and bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were am ...
utilizing the enzymes isocitrate lyase and malate synthase
In enzymology, a malate synthase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
:acetyl-CoA + H2O + glyoxylate \rightarrow (''S'')-malate + CoA
The 3 substrates of this enzyme are acetyl-CoA, H2O, and glyoxylate, whereas its two products ...
. Some intermediate steps of the cycle are slightly different from the citric acid cycle; nevertheless oxaloacetate has the same function in both processes.[ This means that oxaloacetate in this cycle also acts as the primary reactant and final product. In fact the oxaloacetate is a net product of the glyoxylate cycle because its loop of the cycle incorporates two molecules of acetyl-CoA.
]
Fatty acid synthesis
In previous stages acetyl-CoA is transferred from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm where fatty acid synthase resides. The acetyl-CoA is transported as a citrate, which has been previously formed in the mitochondrial matrix from acetyl-coA and oxaloacetate. This reaction usually initiates the citric acid cycle, but when there is no need of energy it is transported to the cytoplasm where it is broken down to cytoplasmatic acetyl -CoA and oxaloacetate.
Another part of the cycle requires NADPH for the synthesis of fatty acids. Part of this reducing power is generated when the cytosolic oxaloacetate is returned to the mitochondria as long as the internal mitochondrial layer is non-permeable for oxaloacetate. Firstly the oxaloacetate is reduced to malate using NADH. Then the malate is decarboxylated to pyruvate. Now this pyruvate can easily enter the mitochondria, where it is carboxylated again to oxaloacetate by pyruvate carboxylase. In this way, the transfer of acetyl-CoA that is from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm produces a molecule of NADH. The overall reaction, which is spontaneous, may be summarized as:
:HCO3– + ATP + acetyl-CoA → ADP + Pi + malonyl-CoA
Amino acid synthesis
Six essential amino acids and three nonessential are synthesized from oxaloacetate and pyruvate. Aspartate and alanine are formed from oxaloacetate and pyruvate, respectively, by transamination from glutamate. Asparagine is synthesized by amidation of aspartate, with glutamine donating the NH4.
These are nonessential amino acids, and their simple biosynthetic pathways occur in all organisms. Methionine, threonine, lysine, isoleucine, valine, and leucine are essential amino acids in humans and most vertebrates. Their biosynthetic pathways in bacteria are complex and interconnected.
Oxalate biosynthesis
Oxaloacetate produces oxalate by hydrolysis.
:oxaloacetate + H2O oxalate + acetate
This process is catalyzed by the enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products ...
oxaloacetase
In enzymology, an oxaloacetase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction:
:oxaloacetate + H2O \rightleftharpoons oxalate + acetate
Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are oxaloacetate and H2O, whereas its two products are oxalat ...
. This enzyme is seen in plants, but is not known in the animal kingdom.[Xu, Hua-Wei. "Oxalate accumulation and regulations is independent of glycolate oxidase in rice leaves" Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol 57, No. 9 pp. 1899-1908, 2006]
Interactive pathway map
See also
*Dioxosuccinic acid
Dioxosuccinic acid or dioxobutanedioic acid is an organic compound with formula C4H2O6 or HO−(C=O)4−OH.
Removal of two protons from the molecule would yield the dioxosuccinate anion, or −O−(C=O)4−O−. This is one of the oxocarbon anio ...
* Glycolysis
Glycolysis is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose () into pyruvate (). The free energy released in this process is used to form the high-energy molecules adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH ...
* Oxidative phosphorylation
Oxidative phosphorylation (UK , US ) or electron transport-linked phosphorylation or terminal oxidation is the metabolic pathway in which cells use enzymes to oxidize nutrients, thereby releasing chemical energy in order to produce adenosine t ...
* Citric acid cycle
The citric acid cycle (CAC)—also known as the Krebs cycle or the TCA cycle (tricarboxylic acid cycle)—is a series of chemical reactions to release stored energy through the oxidation of acetyl-CoA derived from carbohydrates, fats, and prot ...
References
{{Amino acid metabolism intermediates
Citric acid cycle compounds
Dicarboxylic acids
Alpha-keto acids
Beta-keto acids