alpha-ketoglutarate; 2-oxoglutarate

Introduction

An intermediate metabolite in the citric acid cycle & in carnitine biosynthesis.

Biochemistry

• as an intermediate metabolite in the citric acid cycle
• formed from isocitrate via isocitrate dehydrogenase
  • enzyme: isocitrate dehydrogenase
  • substrates: isocitrate + NAD+
  • products: alpha-ketoglutarate + NADH + CO2
• metabolized to succinyl-CoA by alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase in a reaction that feeds electrons into the electron transport chain via NADH
  • enzyme: alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
  • substrates: alpha-ketoglutarate + NAD+ + coenzyme-A
  • products: succinyl-CoA + CO2 + NADH

* see citric acid cycle for role of alpha-ketoglutarate in citric acid cycle

More general terms

• glutarate or glutaric acid
• ketone
• intermediary metabolite

Additional terms

• carnitine biosynthesis
• citric acid cycle, Krebs cycle or tricarboxylic acid [TCA] cycle

Database

• PubChem: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=164533
• PubChem: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=51