Question

In order to absorb folate consumed from green leafy vegetables, what must occur?

A. Phosphate groups must be removed by the action of alkaline phosphatase
B. Glutamate must be transaminated to for alpha-ketoglutarate
C. Glutamic acid molecules must be removed
D. Glutamic acid molecules must be added

Answer 1

To absorb folate from green leafy vegetables, glutamic acid molecules must be removed from folic acid, converting it into tetrahydrofolic acid (THF), the active form of the vitamin.

Step-by-step explanation:

To absorb folate consumed from green leafy vegetables, glutamic acid molecules must be removed. In the body, folic acid is converted to its biologically active form, tetrahydrofolic acid (THF), a process requiring the removal of multiple glutamate residues attached to the molecule as it is consumed in the diet. This process is different from other amino acid metabolic pathways, such as oxidative deamination where glutamate can lose an amino group and transamination reactions that involve transferring amino groups between amino acids and alpha-keto acids.