Pyruvate kinase

Pyruvate kinase is an enzyme that plays an important role in energy metabolism. It is found in the cells of all living organisms and is involved in the process of energy conversion. Pyruvate kinase is one of the key enzymes in the Krebs cycle, which is a sequence of reactions that result in the oxidation of organic substances to produce energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphoric acid).

Pyruvate kinases are divided into two types: pyruvate kinase 1 and pyruvate kinase 2. Pyruvate kinase 1 is located in the cytoplasm of cells and is involved in the transfer of a phosphoric acid residue from phosphopyruvic acid (P-P-C) to an ADP (adenyl diphosphate) molecule to form ATP. Pyruvate kinase 2 is located on the inner surface of the mitochondrial membrane and is also involved in the conversion of P-P-C to ATP, but does not use energy in the form of ADP.

The enzyme pyruvate kinase plays an important role in many biochemical processes such as glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, urea cycle and others. It can also be used as a marker to determine blood glucose levels, which can be useful for diagnosing diabetes mellitus and other diseases associated with impaired carbohydrate metabolism.

Overall, pyruvate kinase is an important enzyme in energy metabolism and is involved in many biological processes. Studying its structure and function can help in the development of new methods of treatment and prevention of various diseases.



Pyruvate kinase (PIK) is one of the most important enzymes in the body and plays a key role in energy metabolism. This enzyme catalyzes the transfer of a phosphoric acid residue from phosphopyruvate monokinase (pyruvate-2-monoketoacid) to adenine diphosphate diacid (ADP-D-monodeoxyribonucleic acid) to form AMP monoacid (adenosine monophosphoric acid) and pyruvate (pyruvic acid).

Pyruvic acid is a product of the reaction of carbohydrates with oxygen during respiration. In turn, another important product of respiration is the ATP molecule, which is a substrate for many biochemical reactions occurring in the cell.

Thus, pyruvate kinase promotes the release of energy through the synthesis of ATP from available nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins. This is one of the most important links in energy metabolism in the cells of living organisms.

The main function of PIK is to regulate pH levels inside cells. For example, by increasing the concentration of phosphopyruvate or ADP-D, PIK can be inhibited, resulting in decreased enzyme activity and slower ATP production. In other words, the PIK value depends on the concentration of phosphopyruvane and ADP-D molecules in the cell, as well as on their kinetic characteristics and the volume of the enzyme.

Consequently, disruption of the function of this molecule can lead to significant changes in metabolism and, as a result, to various diseases such as diabetes, heart problems and some