Gluconeogenesis

Mainly takes part in the liver

Used if blood glucose is too low or ATP levels are too high
in the cell
Doesnt take place in the brain or heart
If theres a deficiency in glucose, brain uses lactose
generated by other tissues and converts it back into glucose
to be respired
The process
Its just a reversal of glycolysis
BUT: 3 glycolysis reactions arent
thermodynamically reversible
(the ones that use/make ATP)
They use different enzymes
Phosphorylation of glucose
Uses Glucose-6-Phosphatase
Generation of Fructose-6phosphate
Uses Fructose-1,6Bisphosphatase
Making pyruvate from
oxaloacetate
Pyruvate + ATP + HCO3-
Oxaloacetate + ADP + Pi
Uses enzyme pyruvate
carboxylase
Oxaloacetate + GTP PEP + CO2 + GDP
Using PEP carboxykinase and GTP
Control of Gluconeogenesis
Fructose-2,6-Bisphosphate
Remember this only occurs in the liver
Activates PFK-1
Inhibits FBPase-1

Produced by phosphorylation of excess fructose-6-phosphate by

PFK-2
Feed-forward inhibition
When theres excess glucose, glycolysis needs to speed up

Insulin will activate PFK-2

Causes an increase in glycolysis and a decrease in
gluconeogenesis to lower blood glucose levels

Glucagon (and adrenaline) will deactivate PFK-2

Causes an increase in gluconeogenesis
Leads to an increase in blood glucose levels

Pyruvate carboxylase
Activated by acetyl-CoA and FBP-1
Increases conversion of excess pyruvate back into glucose