Adipose tissue requires high levels of NADPH for the synthesis of fatty acids (no need for nucleotides or ATP). Considering glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and the pentose phosphate pathway, describe the flow of glucose 6-phosphate to address the needs of adipose tissue.
Glucose-6-phosphate is the starting material for the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP).
It generates 2 NADPH from one glucose-6-phosphate,
· One in the conversion of glucose-6-phosphate into 6-phosphogluconolactone.
· Another one in the conversion of 6-phosphogluconate into ribulose-5-phosphate.
These NADPH molecules are usually used for synthesis of fatty acids and nucleotides.
When fatty acid synthesis is happening in the adipose tissue, glycolysis is stopped and glucose-6-phosphate is directed to PPP to generate NADPH. If the glucose level is low, then gluconeogenesis would be activated to supply glucoe-6-phophate from various gluconeogenic molecules in order to generate more NADPH required for fatty acid synthesis.
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