Question

What do amino acids need to turn into to join gluconeogenesis?

1) Glucose
2) Fatty acids
3) Ketone bodies
4) Amino acids cannot be converted into anything to join gluconeogenesis

Answer 1

Amino acids must be converted to glucose in order to participate in gluconeogenesis. Glucogenic amino acids degrade to pyruvate or oxaloacetate, which can then be used to synthesize glucose. Some amino acids are classified as both glucogenic and ketogenic, whereas some are exclusively ketogenic.

Step-by-step explanation:

To participate in gluconeogenesis, amino acids need to be converted to glucose. The amino acids that can form intermediates of carbohydrate metabolism, which can then be used to generate glucose via gluconeogenesis, are known as glucogenic amino acids. These amino acids typically degrade to pyruvate or oxaloacetate, which are pivotal substrates in the gluconeogenesis pathway. Alanine, for example, yields pyruvate, while aspartate yields oxaloacetate. Certain amino acids are classified as both glucogenic and ketogenic because they can generate intermediates that are precursors for either glucose or ketone body production. However, there are exclusively ketogenic amino acids, such as leucine and lysine, which degrade to acetyl-CoA or acetoacetate; these compounds cannot be converted to glucose but can be used to synthesize ketone bodies instead.