Mulungushi University

School of Medicine and Health Sciences

MBChB program
Biochemistry MBI 261
2nd Year 1st semester TUTORIAL I
Prepared by Masenga SK., BSc., MSc., PgCert

Student ID_________________________ Date ___/____/____ Signature___________

1. Consider the information given below for glycolysis reactions
no Reaction kJ/mol
1 Glucose + ATP → glucose-6-phosphate + ADP ΔGo = -16.7
2 Glucose-6-phosphate → Fructose-6-phosphate ΔGo = +1.7
3 Fructose- 6-phosphate + ATP → Fructose-1,6-diphosphate + ΔGo = -14.2
ADP
4 Fructose-1,6-diphosphate → glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate + ΔGo = +23.8
dihydroxyacetone phosphate
5 dihydroxyacetone phosphate → glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ΔGo = + 7.5
6 glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate + phosphate + NAD+ →1,3- ΔGo = +6.3
diphosphoglycerate + NADH + H+
7 1,3-diphosphoglycerate + ADP → 3-phosphoglycerate + ATP ΔGo = -18.8
8 3-phosphoglycerate → 2-phosphoglycerate ΔGo = +4.6
9 2-phosphoglycerate → 2-phosphoenolpyruvate + H2O ΔGo = +1.7
10 2- phosphoenolpyruvate + ADP → pyruvate + ATP ΔGo = -31.4
11 pyruvate + NADH + H+ → lactate + NAD+ ΔGo = -25.1

Answer the following questions

a) Calculate the ΔGo of glycolysis (5 Marks)

b) State whether glycolysis is an exergonic or endergonic process and give a reason for your answer (4
Marks)
.

c) In class we learnt that almost all biochemical reactions including those of glycolysis are coupled
reactions (exergonic and endergonic). The Phosphorylation of glucose in reaction (i) can be
decomposed into two reactions.
Glucose + phosphate → Glucose-6-phosphate + H2O ΔGo = +14.3
ATP + H2O → ADP + phosphate . ΔG = ???? o

What is the ΔGo of the second reaction? State which one is endergonic and exergonic giving a reason for
each? (6 marks)
Answer:

d) The enzyme aldolase catalyzes reaction 4 (the conversion of fructose 1,6-diphosphate (FDP) to
dihydroxyactone phosphate (DHAP) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphoate (GAP)). Under physiological
conditions the concentrations of these species in red blood cells (erythrocytes) are [FDP] = 35 μM,
[DHAP] = 130 μM and [GAP] = 15 μM at temperature 36.850C. Will the conversion occur
spontaneously under these conditions? (6 marks)

Page 1 of 4
 Mulungushi University
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
MBChB program
Biochemistry MBI 261
2nd Year 1st semester TUTORIAL I
Prepared by Masenga SK., BSc., MSc., PgCert

Student ID_________________________ Date ___/____/____ Signature___________

e) The coupled Reaction (i) can be divided into two half reactions as follows;
ATP + H2O <—> ADP + Pi ∆G0 = -31 kJoules/mol —> (1)
Pi + glucose <—> glucose-6-P+ H2O ∆G° = +14 kJoules/mol —> (2)
Which enzyme(s) catalyzes this reaction? Calculate the ∆G0 of the coupled reaction (4 marks)

f)
i. What enzyme catalyzes reaction 3 and what two functions does ATP serve in this coupled reaction?
(6 marks)

ii. Draw and label an energy diagram for this reaction. Include the relative energy levels of the
substrates and the products, the activation energy and the ΔG0 for the reaction. (6 marks)
Solution:

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 Mulungushi University
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
MBChB program
Biochemistry MBI 261
2nd Year 1st semester TUTORIAL I
Prepared by Masenga SK., BSc., MSc., PgCert

Student ID_________________________ Date ___/____/____ Signature___________

iii. In erythrocytes, the following intracellular concentrations of metabolites are found:

Metabolite Concentration
Fructose 6-phosphate 0.014 mM
Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate 0.028 mM
AMP 1 mM
ADP 0.2 mM
ATP 2 mM
Pi 1 mM
What is the free energy change of the phosphofructokinase reaction under these cellular conditions
(37°C)? Show your work. Is the reaction spontaneous under these conditions? (6 marks)
Solution:

g)
i. Which enzymes regulate glycolysis? (3 marks)

ii. What specific signals or molecule(s) do these enzymes respond to? (6 marks)
enzyme activator inhibitor

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 Mulungushi University
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
MBChB program
Biochemistry MBI 261
2nd Year 1st semester TUTORIAL I
Prepared by Masenga SK., BSc., MSc., PgCert

Student ID_________________________ Date ___/____/____ Signature___________

iii. Under what regulation mechanisms are they? (2 marks)

iv. Why is glycolysis regulation important? (2 marks)

h) Under what oxygen conditions do these reactions (i to ii) proceed to and if the condition was the
opposite to the one suggested in the final reaction fate of glycolysis product, what would be the
product and enzyme catalyzing the very next reaction under normal conditions ? (3 mark)

i) In certain tumor cells, an enzyme called ATPase becomes abnormally active, resulting in increased
hydrolysis of ATP to ADP. What would be the effect on the overall rate of glycolysis in these cells
and explain the biochemical mechanism behind cachexia (wasting & weakness) in chronic cancer
patients? (5 marks)

j) The harvested energy in glycolysis is stored in what molecule(s)? and what is/are these molecule(s)
used for? (6 marks)

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