Question

1.) Let’s use glucose as the metabolic fuel for aerobic respiration.

1. How many ATPs would be formed if NAD⁺were the sole electron carrier cofactor formed throughout the metabolic pathways of glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation?
2. How many H⁺would have to be pumped from the intermembrane space and into the matrix for the ATP synthase to generate all of these ATPs?
3. Answer question 2 (part a and b) but replace NAD⁺with FAD.
4. In ATP synthase, describe the process that promotes the conformational changes that facilitates the catalyzed reaction.

Answer 1

A) 2 NADH FORMED IN GLYCOLYSIS

2 NADH FORMED IN LINK REACTION

6 NADH FORMED IN CITRIC ACID CYCLE.

TOTQL NADH = 10 , total no. Of ATP is 10× 2.5 = 25 ATP.

If you consider old 3ATP per NADH ,THEN 30 ATP.

B) Total 4Hf+required for 1 ATP.

So, total h+ will be 100.

C) Total NADH2 formed will be equal to that of NADH + 2 of itself from citric acid cycle.

So, 12 NADH2 , and ATP formed will be

1.5×12 = 16 ATP formed. And 64 H+ passed.

D) The breakdown of H+ gradient and passing of the H+ accross the ATP synthase produces a kinetic/rotatory conformational change as a result , higher the gradient of h+ more the ATP is produced.