Question

Glucose + 2 Pi + 2 ADP → 2 lactate + 2 ATP + 2 H2O The overall glycolysis reaction shown above occurs in eleven enzyme-catalyzed steps. If the sole consideration is to produce ATP, four of these steps could be eliminated. Altering the remaining seven steps to accommodate these deletions would still result in the same overall equation. What are the four steps which could be eliminated? Give some possible reasons why they are still included in the pathway.

Answer 1

4 steps are as follows:- here mentioned below are step no. of glycolysis

2nd step - glucose 6 phosphate to fructose 6 phosphate

5th step - conversion of Dihydroxy acetone phosphate to glyceraldehyde 3 phosphate

8th step conversion of 3 phosphoglyceric to 2 phosphoglycerate

9th step conversion of 3 phosphoglycerate to Phosphoenol pyruvate

Above pathways can be eliminated from the glycolysis as these pathways are not produced any ATP and NADH but these is not eliminated in actual sence because these including the pathways make overall ∆G value negative which push the pathway in forward direction and also enzyme involved next step recongnised previous step product and if this product formation step removed than its difficult to carry the reaction in forward direction.

Thanks..!