Final answer:
One molecule of fumarase produces one molecule of fumarate, resulting in the formation of L-malate due to the enzyme's stereospecific action in the Kreb's cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
One molecule of fumarase can produce one molecule of fumarate. Fumarase is an enzyme that catalyzes the stereo-specific hydration of the C=C double bond in fumarate, resulting in the formation of L-malate. This reaction is part of the Kreb's cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle, which is a critical energy-producing process that occurs in the mitochondria.
The enzyme fumarase is highly stereospecific, meaning it reacts with one stereoisomer of the reactant exclusively. Therefore, it will not catalyze the hydration of maleate, the cis-isomer of fumarate. In the Kreb's cycle, fumarase efficiently converts the trans-isomer fumarate to only (S)-malate, without producing any of its enantiomers, such as (R)-malate.
So, the enzyme fumarase doesn't alter the quantity of fumarate molecules; it simply facilitates the conversion between fumarate and malate. The stoichiometry of the reaction is 1:1. Therefore, one molecule of fumarase can interconvert one molecule of fumarate and one molecule of malate, depending on the direction of the reaction.