Final answer:
Triose-phosphate isomerase is the enzyme responsible for transferring between GAP and DHAP, critical for ensuring the efficient continuation of glycolysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The enzyme that transfers between GAP (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate) and DHAP (dihydroxyacetone phosphate) is triose-phosphate isomerase. During glycolysis, this enzyme catalyzes the reversible isomerization of DHAP to GAP, enabling the continuation of the glycolytic pathway with two molecules of GAP. The reaction happens in the fifth step of glycolysis after the cleavage of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate into these two three-carbon isomers by aldolase.
Triose-phosphate isomerase is a crucial enzyme in this process as it allows for the symmetrical splitting of glucose, ensuring that both molecules of the three-carbon sugars can be processed in the subsequent steps of glycolysis. Without this enzyme, the glycolytic pathway would not be as efficient because only one of the two isomers can proceed directly through the pathway.