Question

This is about the fate of pyruvate, but with a twist It's about an overall or net reaction for a process (a pathway) starting with glucose and ending with something other than pyruvate.

Acetic acid (CH3-COOH) can be produced by certain bacteria. Such bacteria first produce acetaldehyde and CO2 from pyruvate and then they oxidize the acetaldehyde to acetic acid, in a reaction that requires NAD(+).

So, what would the overall reaction be for the pathway starting with glucose and ending with acetic acid, in such bacteria? Just use glycolysis to get from glucose to pyruvate and then the information given above to get from pyruvate to acetic acid. Add everything together to get an overall reaction for converting glucose to 2 acetic acid.

A. glucose + 4 NAD(+) + 2 ADP + 2 Pi - - > 2 CO2 + 2 acetic acid + 4 NADH + 4 H(+) + 2 ATP + 2 H2O

B. glucose + 4 NAD(+) + 2 ADP + 2 Pi - - > CO2 + acetic acid + 2 NADH + 2 H(+) + 2 ATP + 2 H2O

C. glucose + 4 NAD(+) + 2 ADP + 2 Pi - - > 2 CO2 + 2 acetic acid + 4 NADH + 4 H(+)

D. glucose + 4 NAD(+) + ADP + Pi - - > 2 CO2 + 2 acetic acid + 4 NADH + 4 H(+) + ATP + H2O

Answer 1