NOTE
B I O L O G Y
RESPIRATION IN PLANTS
KREBS’ CYCLE, ENERGETICS OF KREBS’ CYCLE,
SIGNIFICANCE
LIGHT REACTIONS, THE ELECTRON OF KREBS’ CYCLE
TRANSPORT CHAIN, CYCLIC AND
NON-CYCLIC PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATOIN, CHEMIOSMOTIC HYOPTHESIS
Key Takeaways
• Krebs’ cycle
○ Steps of Krebs’ cycle
○ Overall inputs and products of Krebs’ cycle
○ Significance of Krebs’ cycle
Prerequisites
Aerobic respiration in mitochondria
Oxidative Electron transport
Steps Krebs’ cycle
decarboxylation system (ETS) and
oxidative
phosphorylation
Mitochondrial Mitochondrial Inner mitochondrial
Occurs in
matrix matrix membrane
Glycolysis is Oxidative ETS and oxidative
Krebs’ cycle
(Cytoplasm) decarboxylation phosphorylation
Glycolysis
Acetyl Krebs’ Electron transport
Pyruvate CoA cycle system
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• Oxidative decarboxylation
Coenzyme A
Pyruvate C Carbon dioxide
dehydrogenase
C C C C C CoA
Mg2+
Pyruvate Acetyl CoA
NAD +
NADH + H +
Krebs’ Cycle
• It is named after the scientist Hans Krebs who first elucidated it.
• It takes place in the mitochondrial matrix.
Steps of Krebs’ cycle
Hans Krebs
Step 1
• This cycle starts with the condensation of acetyl CoA with oxaloacetic acid (OAA) and water
to yield citric acid.
○ The reaction is catalysed by an enzyme citrate synthase, and a molecule of CoA is
released.
O CoA
CH3 C S
COO–
COO –
C2 CH2
O C
SH - CoA HO C COO–
CH2 Acetyl CoA
CH2
COO–
H2O Citrate synthase COO–
C4 C6
Oxaloacetate Citrate
○ The first compound formed during the cycle is citrate. Hence, the cycle is also known as
the citric acid cycle.
○ Citric acid is also known as tricarboxylic acid. Hence, the Krebs’ cycle is also known as the
tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle).
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Step 2
• In the next step, citrate is isomerised to isocitrate in the presence of aconitase.
○ Isocitrate is better suited for the next step of oxidation-reduction reactions.
COO– COO–
CH2 CH2
HO C COO– HC COO–
CH2 HO CH
COO– COO–
Aconitase
C6 C6
Citrate Isocitrate
Step 3
• Isocitrate undergoes oxidative decarboxylation to form ∝-ketoglutarate catalysed by isocitrate
dehydrogenase.
• In this process, NAD+ is reduced to NADH + H+ and CO2 is released.
COO– COO–
NAD+ NADH + H+
CH2 CH2
HC COO– CH2
HO CH Isocitrate dehydrogenase C O
COO– COO–
CO2
C6 C5
Isocitrate ∝-ketoglutarate
Step 4
• In the fourth step, ∝-ketoglutarate undergoes oxidative decarboxylation to form succinyl CoA.
○ This reaction is catalysed by ∝-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase.
○ In this process as well, NAD+ undergoes reduction to form NADH + H+ and CO2 is
released.
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COO– COO–
SH-CoA CO2
CH2 CH2
CH2 CH2
C O ∝-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase C O
COO– S-CoA
NAD+ NADH + H+
C5 C4
∝-ketoglutarate Succinyl CoA
Step 5
• Succinyl CoA synthetase catalyses the conversion of succinyl CoA to succinate.
○ GTP is formed in this reaction, which is further used to generate ATP.
COO– COO–
CoASH
Succinyl CoA
CH2 CH2
synthetase
CH2 CH2
C O C O
S-CoA GDP GTP O–
Succinyl CoA Succinate
ADP ATP
C4 C4
Step 6
• Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is an enzyme found in the inner mitochondrial membrane that
is an integral component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain.
○ It catalyses the conversion of succinate to fumarate.
○ Two hydrogen atoms are removed from the succinate and added to FAD+ to form FADH2.
COO–
COO–
CH2 Succinate dehydrogenase
CH
CH2
HC
C O FAD +
FADH2 COO–
O–
C4 C4
Succinate Fumarate
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Step 7
• Water is added to fumarate to form another four-carbon molecule known as malate.
COO– H2O COO–
CH HO CH
HC CH2
Fumarase
COO– COO–
C4 C4
Fumarate Malate
Step 8
• Malate dehydrogenase catalyses the conversion of malate to oxaloacetate.
○ In this process, NAD+ is reduced to NADH.
○ Oxaloacetate is regenerated. It is an acceptor molecule.
COO– NAD+ NADH + H+ COO–
HO CH O C
CH2 CH2
Malate dehydrogenase
COO– COO–
C4 C4
Malate Oxaloacetate
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Overall inputs and products of Krebs’ cycle
Acetyl CoA
Citrate
H2O
Isocitrate
Oxaloacetate
NAD+
NADH + H +
NADH + H+
NAD+ CO2
Malate Krebs’ Cycle ∝-ketoglutarate
NAD+
H2O NADH + H+
CO2
Fumarate Succinyl CoA
FADH2 GDP
Succinate GTP
FAD+
Input Product
Acetyl CoA CoASH
+ +
3 NAD+ 3 NADH
+ +
FAD+ 3H+
+ +
GDP FADH2
+ +
Pi GTP
+ +
2H2O 2CO2
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Mnemonic to remember Krebs’ cycle
Our City Is Kept Safe and Secure From Malice Mobsters
Our Oxaloacetate
City Citrate
Is Isocitrate
Kept Alpha-ketoglutarate
Safe Succinyl CoA
and Secure Succinate
From Fumarate
Malice Mobsters Malate
Significance of Krebs’ cycle
• The TCA cycle is amphibolic, i.e., it serves as a catabolic as well as an anabolic pathway.
• Acetyl CoA is modified in the mitochondria to produce energy precursors for the electron
transport chain or oxidative phosphorylation.
• Molecules produced in this reaction are the building blocks of a large number of important
processes like the synthesis of fatty acids, cholesterol, and amino acids for building proteins.
Summary Sheet
Acetyl CoA
Citrate
H2O
Isocitrate
Oxaloacetate
NAD+
NADH + H +
NADH + H+
NAD+ CO2
Krebs’ cycle or Alpha- ketoglutarate
Malate
TCA cycle or
Citric acid cycle NAD+
Input and H2O NADH + H+
product of CO2
Krebs’ cycle
Fumarate Succinyl CoA
FADH2 GDP
Succinate GTP
FAD+
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