Pyruvic acid



Pyruvic acid
IUPAC name 2-oxopropanoic acid
Other names α-ketopropionic acid; acetylformic acid; pyroracemic acid; Pyr
Identifiers
CAS number 127-17-3
SMILES CC(C(O)=O)=O
Properties
Molecular formula C3H4O3
Molar mass 88.06 g/mol
Density 1.250 g/cm³
Melting point

11.8 °C

Boiling point

165 °C

Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox disclaimer and references

Pyruvic acid (CH3COCO2H) is an alpha-keto acid. Pyruvate plays an important role in biochemical processes. The carboxylate anion of pyruvic acid is known as pyruvate.

Chemistry

Pyruvic acid is a colorless liquid with a smell similar to that of potassium cyanide:

CH3COCl + KCN → CH3COCN
CH3COCN → CH3COCOOH

Biochemical role

Pyruvate is an important citric acid cycle, because citric acid is one of the intermediate compounds formed during the reactions.

If insufficient oxygen is available, the acid is broken down anaerobically, creating acetaldehyde and then to ethanol in alcoholic fermentation.

Pyruvic acid is a key intersection in the network of ethanol. Therefore it unites several key metabolic processes.

The pyruvic acid derivative bromopyruvic acid is being studied for potential cancer treatment applications, by Young Hee Ko at Johns Hopkins University and others in ways that would support the Warburg hypothesis on the cause(s) of cancer.

Pyruvate production by glycolysis

In pyruvate carboxylase and PEP carboxykinase to catalyze the reverse transformation of pyruvate to PEP. The arrow indicating a reverse reaction in the Figure below is incorrect.

phosphoenolpyruvate Pyruvate kinase pyruvate
 
ADP ATP
ADP ATP
 
  Pyruvate kinase

Compound C00074 at KEGG Pathway Database. Enzyme 2.7.1.40 at KEGG Pathway Database. Compound C00022 at KEGG Pathway Database.

Pyruvate decarboxylation to acetyl CoA

acetyl-CoA.

pyruvate pyruvate dehydrogenase complex acetyl-CoA
 
CoA + NAD+ CO2 + NADH + H+
 
 

Note that decarboxylation is only one of several possible reactions for pyruvate.

Role in the origin of life

Main article: iron-sulfur world theory

Current evolutionary theory on the Günter Wächtershäuser, the mixing of iron-rich crust with hydrothermal vent fluid is suspected of providing the fertile basis for the formation of life.

References

  • George D. Cody, Nabil Z. Boctor, Timothy R. Filley, Robert M. Hazen, James H. Scott, Anurag Sharma, Hatten S. Yoder Jr., "Primordial Carbonylated Iron-Sulfur Compounds and the Synthesis of Pyruvate," Science, 289 (5483) (25 August 2000) pp. 1337 - 1340. [1]
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Metabolic Pathway
Glucose Hexokinase Glucose-6-phosphate Phosphoglucoisomerase Fructose 6-phosphate Phosphofructokinase Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate Fructose bisphosphate aldolase Dihydroxyacetone phosphate Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate Triosephosphate isomerase Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate Glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase
ATP ADP ATP ADP NAD+ + Pi NADH + H+
+ 2
NAD+ + Pi NADH + H+
1,3-Bisphosphoglycerate Phosphoglycerate kinase 3-Phosphoglycerate Phosphoglycerate mutase 2-Phosphoglycerate Enolase Phosphoenolpyruvate Pyruvate kinase Pyruvate Pyruvate dehydrogenase Acetyl-CoA
ADP ATP H2O ADP ATP CoA + NAD+ NADH + H+ + CO2
2 2 2 2 2 2
ADP ATP H2O
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pyruvic_acid". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.