Gluconeogenesis from glycerol enters as which intermediate?

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Multiple Choice

Gluconeogenesis from glycerol enters as which intermediate?

Glycerol from fat breakdown becomes a gluconeogenic substrate by first being activated to glycerol-3-phosphate in the liver. This phosphorylation step, catalyzed by glycerol kinase and using ATP, is what inserts glycerol into the gluconeogenic pathway, making glycerol-3-phosphate the entry point. From there, glycerol-3-phosphate is oxidized to dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), which can isomerize to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and continue through the gluconeogenic steps toward glucose. Fructose-6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate are later intermediates in the pathway, so the initial entry point for glycerol is glycerol-3-phosphate.

Glycerol from fat breakdown becomes a gluconeogenic substrate by first being activated to glycerol-3-phosphate in the liver. This phosphorylation step, catalyzed by glycerol kinase and using ATP, is what inserts glycerol into the gluconeogenic pathway, making glycerol-3-phosphate the entry point. From there, glycerol-3-phosphate is oxidized to dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP), which can isomerize to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and continue through the gluconeogenic steps toward glucose. Fructose-6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate are later intermediates in the pathway, so the initial entry point for glycerol is glycerol-3-phosphate.

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