Question

Metabolic reprogramming in KRas-driven cancer cells involves glutaminolysis whereby glutamine is deamidated by glutaminase to glutamate, which is then deaminated by glutamate dehydrogenase to a-ketoglutarate and NH₄⁺.  alpha-ketoglutarate can then continue through the TCA cycle to citrate and exit the mitochondria where acetyl-CoA is regenerated for fatty acid synthesis.

1. True
2. False

Answer 1

A. true. Explanation: Glutamine is an important metabolic amino acid that helps in the proliferation of cells to meet the increase demand for ATP. KRas-driven cancer cells are characterized by altered metabolic pathways that involves enhanced glycolysis or enhanced glutaminolysis. During glutaminolysis, glutamine is converted to glutamate in the mitochondria through deamination reaction catalyzed by glutaminase which is then converted to Alpha-ketoglutamate by either glutamate dehydrogenase or by the alanine or by aspartate transaminases.