In going from acetyl-CoA to succinate, two carbons have entered the cycle and two have been released as CO2. Why is the cycle not considered as complete at this point?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To analyze this question, start by recalling the core sequence of the citric acid (Krebs) cycle: acetyl-CoA combines with an existing oxaloacetate to form citrate, and through a series of reactions, oxaloacetate is regenerated at the end of the cycle to accept another acetyl-CoA.

Option 1: 'Not enough NADH has been generated.' While NADH is produced in several steps of the cycle, the number of NADH generated so far does not determine whether the cycle is complete. The cycle can cycle again as long as oxaloacetate is available; partial NADH production is not the criterion for completeness. Therefore this statement is not a correct reason for the cycle not being complete at this point.

Option 2: 'The cell requires FADH2 produced in subsequent reactions of the cycle.' Similarly, FADH2 is produced later in the cycle (not during the initial acetyl-CoA entry), but the mere need for eventual FADH2 does not define the cycle’s completeness. The requirement for downstream electron carriers does not address whether oxaloacetate has been regenerated to start another turn. Hence this option is not the correct justification.

Option 3: 'The oxaloacetate used to initiate the cycle must be regenerated.' This aligns with the fundamental rule of the cycle: after acetyl-CoA adds its two carbons and the cycle progresses, oxaloacetate must be regenerated to accept a new acetyl-CoA and continue the cycle. If oxaloacetate were not regenerated, the cycle would halt and could not be considered complete or self-sustaining for another turn. Thus this is the correct conceptual reason for the cycle not being complete at this stage.

Option 4: 'Not enough energy has been generated from the cycle at this stage.' Energy bookkeeping (ATP/GTP yield per turn) is a downstream consequence of a complete turn, not a criterion for cycle completeness at the point two carbons have entered and two released as CO2. The cycle’s completion isn’t defined by reaching a particular energy threshold in the early step; it’s defined by regenerating oxaloacetate. Therefore this statement is not correct.

In summary, the key conceptual idea is that the cycle requires regeneration of oxaloacetate to reset the starting substrate for another turn; without oxaloacetate regeneration, the cycle cannot continue regardless of NADH, FADH2, or ATP/GTP production in earlier steps.

BIOL3611.13541.202610 InClassChapter17&regulation

In going from acetyl-CoA to succinate, two carbons have entered the cycle and two have been released as CO2. Why is the cycle not considered as complete at this point?

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