Final answer:
The conversion in question is from 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate to 3-phosphoglycerate, then to 2-phosphoglycerate, within the process of glycolysis. In this multistep biochemical process, substrate-level phosphorylation takes place and enzymes catalyze the positional change of phosphate groups.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about a specific biochemical conversion in the process known as glycolysis, where 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate (1,3-BPG) is converted to 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PG). In step 7 of glycolysis, 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate donates a high-energy phosphate to ADP to form ATP, a process known as substrate-level phosphorylation. As a result of this phosphate group transfer, 1,3-BPG is converted into 3-phosphoglycerate.
Furthermore, in step 8, the remaining phosphate group in 3-phosphoglycerate is relocated from the third carbon to the second carbon, resulting in the formation of 2-phosphoglycerate. This step is catalyzed by an enzyme known as phosphoglycerate mutase. At this point, the molecule undergoes further reactions, eventually leading to the formation of phosphoenolpyruvate, and then to pyruvate, completing the glycolytic pathway.