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Substrate level phosphorylation and oxidative phosphorylation.

Substrate level phosphorylation


Substrate level phosphorylation is a chemical reaction that can be defined how the
production of ATP from ADP combined to enzymatic transformation of a substrate.
In this reaction, oxidative phosphorylation and ATPase are not involve. With this
type of phosphorylation you have an ADP, which is a unit of adenosine attached to
two phosphate groups. To turn it into an adenosine triphosphate, a phosphate
group is taken from an intermediate compound (substrate), and given to the ADP.
During glycolysis, energy in the form of ATP is generated by substrate level
phosphorylation. In the EMP pathway oxidation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and
the incorporation of inorganic phosphorus result in the formation of 1,3diphosphoglycerate. One of the phosphate bonds reachs a high-energy state. The
energy in this bond is used to transfer the inorganic phosphorus to ADP to form
ATP. Subsequent conversion of the 3-phosphoglycerate from this reaction to
phosphoenol pyruvate provides the phosphate bond with high-energy state for the
transfer of energy by the formation of ATP from ADP.
In fermentative pathways, substrate level phosphorylation is the only way that
microorganisms can obtain energy. In Esherichia coli, the fermentation of glucose
produce a mixture of metabolic products consisting primarily of acetate and
formate, as well as smaller amounts of lactate, succinate and ethanol. For that
reason, the yield of ATP production are very low compared with oxidative
phosphorylation.
Oxidative phosphorylation
Oxidative phosphorylation is the metabolic pathway in which the mitochondria (in
eukaryotic cell) in cells use their structure, enzymes, and energy released by the
oxidation of nutrients for obtain energy as ATP. In prokaryote cells, as E. coli, this
process occurs in the cell membrane. When a carbohydrate is oxidized via
respiratory mechanism, the energy is generated by passing electrons through a

series of electron acceptors and donors until they reach a final electron acceptor
such as oxygen.
This process is more complex that substrate level phosphorylation because there
are involve a series of steps in the obtaining of energy as ATP. The cytoplasmic
membranes of bacteria contain the electron transfer systems. This system are
composed different components: cytochromes, iron-sulfur cluster enzymes,
flavoproteins, and quinolones.
The NADH and FAD H 2

formed in glycolysis are molecules rich in energy

because each contains a pair of electrons having a high transfer potential. These
molecules are used to reduce molecular oxygen to water, and in this process a
high amount of energy is liberate, which can be used to generate ATP.
E. coli under different conditions, use the electron transfer system and employs a
variety of substrates and terminal electron acceptors. The respiratory system is a
set of sites that contains different dehydrogenases and oxidases. The electron
transfer reactions are initiated by specific modular units as NADH. For example,
under conditions of vigorous aeration the membrane carriers include ubiquinone,
cytochromes. In this case, molecular oxygen functions as a terminal electron
acceptor, accepting electrons from electron carriers.
The electrons move along the transport chain going from donor to acceptor until
they reach oxygen. The components are organized into 4 complexes and each
complex contains different electrons carriers.
The complex I, also called NADH-Coenzyme Q reductase or NADH reductase
because this protein complex transfers 2 electrons from NADH to coenzyme Q.
This complex binds NADH, transfer two electrons in the form of a hydride to FMN
to produce NAD+ and FMN H 2 .
The complex II, also known as succinate-Coenzyme Q reductase or succinate
reductase. In this complex, succinate is bound and a proton is transferred to FAD
to generate FAD H 2

and fumarate. FAD H 2

then transfers its electrons one at

a time to the Fe-S centers. Then FAD functions as 2 electron acceptor and a 1

electron donor. The final step of this complex is the transfer of 2 electrons one at a
time to coenzyme Q to produce CoQ H 2 .
The complex III, also known as coenzyme Q reductase or coenzyme Qcytochrome c reductase, because it passes the electrons from CoQ H 2

to cyt C

through a very unique electron transport pathway called the Q-cycle.


Finally we have the last step, the complex IV, also known as cytochrome c oxidase
because it accepts the electrons from cytochrome c and directs them to the four
electron reduction of

O2 molecules.

In conclusion, E. coli can follow both substrate level phosphorylation and oxidative
phosphorylation under different conditions for obtain energy that it needs. However,
substrate level phosphorylation produces a low yield compared with the high yield
in oxidative phosphorylation, this is important highlight because depending what is
your aim, will be the path we need to follow.

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