Oxalacetate (Noun)
Meaning
A salt or ester of oxalacetic acid.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- Oxalacetate is a key intermediate in the citric acid cycle, where it is converted to citrate by the enzyme citrate synthase.
- The oxalacetate ion is a crucial component of the malate-aspartate shuttle, which helps to transport NADH into the mitochondria.
- In the urea cycle, oxalacetate is converted to aspartate by the enzyme argininosuccinate synthetase.
- Oxalacetate can be converted to phosphoenolpyruvate by the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, which is an important step in gluconeogenesis.
- The oxalacetate ion can also be converted to malate by the enzyme malate dehydrogenase, which is an important step in the citric acid cycle.