ATP -> AMP

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_dee - 25 Sep 2007 11:33 GMT

Most simplified accounts of ATP only cover conversion to/from ADP. I'm
curious about two aspects of conversion to/from AMP instead:

What determines when ATP is converted to AMP instead of ADP? There
must be certain places where the cell's chemistry uses the alternate
form, but I have not found specifics.

After a molecule has been turned to AMP, how is it re-phosporylated?
Most diagrams of Glycolysis/Krebs/Electron-Transport-Chain only show
ADP->ATP.

Thanks for any leads that you can provide.

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Bob - 26 Sep 2007 03:54 GMT

>Most simplified accounts of ATP only cover conversion to/from ADP. I'm
>curious about two aspects of conversion to/from AMP instead:
>
> What determines when ATP is converted to AMP instead of ADP?

I suppose the simple answer is "the enzyme". One could also address
this based on the energy need of the reaction.

>There
>must be certain places where the cell's chemistry uses the alternate
>form,

Indeed. A good example is all use of NTP and dNTP is RNA and DNA
synthesis. This results in release of pyrophosphate, which is further
hydrolyzed to two phosphates -- thus providing additional driving
force.

>but I have not found specifics.
>
> After a molecule has been turned to AMP, how is it re-phosporylated?
>Most diagrams of Glycolysis/Krebs/Electron-Transport-Chain only show
>ADP->ATP.

Oh, phosphates are rather labile. They are moved among all the various
possible phosphorylated nucleotides as needed. ATP + AMP --> 2 ADP.

bob

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Natural Science Forum / Biology / Biology / September 2007

ATP -> AMP