Julianne Zedalis; John Eggebrecht

Learning Objectives

In this section, you will explore the following question:

What mechanisms control cellular respiration?

Connection for AP^® Courses

Cellular respiration is controlled by a variety of means. For example, the entry of glucose into a cell is controlled by the transport proteins that aid glucose passage through the cell membrane. However, most of the control of the respiration processes is accomplished through negative feedback inhibition of specific enzymes that respond to the intracellular concentrations of ATP, ADP, NAD⁺, and FAD, etc.

Information presented and the examples highlighted in the section support concepts and learning objectives outlined in Big Idea 2 of the AP^® Biology Curriculum Framework, as shown in the table. The Learning Objectives listed in the Curriculum Framework provide a transparent foundation for the AP^® Biology course, an inquiry-based laboratory experience, instructional activities, and AP^® exam questions. A Learning Objective merges required content with one or more of the seven Science Practices.

Big Idea 2	Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Enduring Understanding 2.C	Organisms use feedback mechanisms to regulate growth and reproduction, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis.
Essential Knowledge	2.C.1 Organisms use feedback mechanisms to maintain their internal environments and respond to external environmental changes.
Science Practice	7.2 The student can connect concepts in and across domain(s) to generalize or extrapolate in and/or across enduring understandings and/or big ideas.
Learning Objective	2.16 The student is able to connect how organisms use negative feedback to maintain their internal environments.
Essential Knowledge	2.C.1 Organisms use feedback mechanisms to maintain their internal environments and respond to external environmental changes.
Science Practice	5.3 The student can evaluate the evidence provided by data sets in relation to a particular scientific question.
Learning Objective	2.17 The student is able to evaluate data that show the effect(s) of changes in concentration of key molecules on negative feedback mechanisms.

Cellular respiration must be regulated in order to provide balanced amounts of energy in the form of ATP. The cell also must generate a number of intermediate compounds that are used in the anabolism and catabolism of macromolecules. Without controls, metabolic reactions would quickly come to a stand-still as the forward and backward reactions reached a state of equilibrium. Resources would be used inappropriately. A cell does not need the maximum amount of ATP that it can make all the time: At times, the cell needs to shunt some of the intermediates to pathways for amino acid, protein, glycogen, lipid, and nucleic acid production. In short, the cell needs to control its metabolism.

Regulatory Mechanisms

A variety of mechanisms is used to control cellular respiration. Some type of control exists at each stage of glucose metabolism. Access of glucose to the cell can be regulated using the GLUT proteins that transport glucose (Figure 7.19). Different forms of the GLUT protein control passage of glucose into the cells of specific tissues.

When insulin in the bloodstream binds the insulin receptor in the plasma membrane of a target cell, a vesicle containing the glucose transporter Glut-4 fuses with the plasma membrane. Glut-4 is a transporter that allows glucose to enter the cell.

Figure 7.19 GLUT4 is a glucose transporter that is stored in vesicles. A cascade of events that occurs upon insulin binding to a receptor in the plasma membrane causes GLUT4-containing vesicles to fuse with the plasma membrane so that glucose may be transported into the cell.

Some reactions are controlled by having two different enzymes—one each for the two directions of a reversible reaction. Reactions that are catalyzed by only one enzyme can go to equilibrium, stalling the reaction. In contrast, if two different enzymes (each specific for a given direction) are necessary for a reversible reaction, the opportunity to control the rate of the reaction increases, and equilibrium is not reached.

A number of enzymes involved in each of the pathways—in particular, the enzyme catalyzing the first committed reaction of the pathway—are controlled by attachment of a molecule to an allosteric site on the protein. The molecules most commonly used in this capacity are the nucleotides ATP, ADP, AMP, NAD⁺, and NADH. These regulators, allosteric effectors, may increase or decrease enzyme activity, depending on the prevailing conditions. The allosteric effector alters the steric structure of the enzyme, usually affecting the configuration of the active site. This alteration of the protein’s (the enzyme’s) structure either increases or decreases its affinity for its substrate, with the effect of increasing or decreasing the rate of the reaction. The attachment signals to the enzyme. This binding can increase or decrease the enzyme’s activity, providing feedback. This feedback type of control is effective as long as the chemical affecting it is attached to the enzyme. Once the overall concentration of the chemical decreases, it will diffuse away from the protein, and the control is relaxed.

Control of Catabolic Pathways

Enzymes, proteins, electron carriers, and pumps that play roles in glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and the electron transport chain tend to catalyze non-reversible reactions. In other words, if the initial reaction takes place, the pathway is committed to proceeding with the remaining reactions. Whether a particular enzyme activity is released depends upon the energy needs of the cell (as reflected by the levels of ATP, ADP, and AMP).

Glycolysis

The control of glycolysis begins with the first enzyme in the pathway, hexokinase (Figure 7.20). This enzyme catalyzes the phosphorylation of glucose, which helps to prepare the compound for cleavage in a later step. The presence of the negatively charged phosphate in the molecule also prevents the sugar from leaving the cell. When hexokinase is inhibited, glucose diffuses out of the cell and does not become a substrate for the respiration pathways in that tissue. The product of the hexokinase reaction is glucose-6-phosphate, which accumulates when a later enzyme, phosphofructokinase, is inhibited.

Figure 7.20 The glycolysis pathway is primarily regulated at the three key enzymatic steps (1, 2, and 7) as indicated. Note that the first two steps that are regulated occur early in the pathway and involve hydrolysis of ATP.

Phosphofructokinase is the main enzyme controlled in glycolysis. High levels of ATP, citrate, or a lower, more acidic pH decrease the enzyme’s activity. An increase in citrate concentration can occur because of a blockage in the citric acid cycle. Fermentation, with its production of organic acids like lactic acid, frequently accounts for the increased acidity in a cell; however, the products of fermentation do not typically accumulate in cells.

The last step in glycolysis is catalyzed by pyruvate kinase. The pyruvate produced can proceed to be catabolized or converted into the amino acid alanine. If no more energy is needed and alanine is in adequate supply, the enzyme is inhibited. The enzyme’s activity is increased when fructose-1,6-bisphosphate levels increase. (Recall that fructose-1,6-bisphosphate is an intermediate in the first half of glycolysis.) The regulation of pyruvate kinase involves phosphorylation by kinase, resulting in a less-active enzyme. Dephosphorylation by a phosphatase reactivates it. Pyruvate kinase is also regulated by ATP (a negative allosteric effect).

If more energy is needed, more pyruvate will be converted into acetyl CoA through the action of pyruvate dehydrogenase. If either acetyl groups or NADH accumulate, there is less need for the reaction and the rate decreases. Pyruvate dehydrogenase is also regulated by phosphorylation: A kinase phosphorylates it to form an inactive enzyme, and a phosphatase reactivates it. The kinase and the phosphatase are also regulated.

Citric Acid Cycle

The citric acid cycle is controlled through the enzymes that catalyze the reactions that make the first two molecules of NADH (Figure 7.10). These enzymes are isocitrate dehydrogenase and α‑ketoglutarate dehydrogenase. When adequate ATP and NADH levels are available, the rates of these reactions decrease. When more ATP is needed, as reflected in rising ADP levels, the rate increases. α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase will also be affected by the levels of succinyl CoA—a subsequent intermediate in the cycle—causing a decrease in activity. A decrease in the rate of operation of the pathway at this point is not necessarily negative, as the increased levels of the α-ketoglutarate not used by the citric acid cycle can be used by the cell for amino acid (glutamate) synthesis.

Electron Transport Chain

Specific enzymes of the electron transport chain are unaffected by feedback inhibition, but the rate of electron transport through the pathway is affected by the levels of ADP and ATP. Greater ATP consumption by a cell is indicated by a buildup of ADP. As ATP usage decreases, the concentration of ADP decreases, and now, ATP begins to build up in the cell. This change in the relative concentration of ADP to ATP triggers the cell to slow down the electron transport chain.

Link to Learning

Visit this site to see an animation of the electron transport chain and ATP synthesis.

Which statement best describes the formation and importance of the hydrogen ion gradient during the electron transport chain?

A hydrogen ion gradient across the membrane establishes a concentration gradient and not an electrical gradient, thus assisting during the electron transport chain.
A hydrogen ion gradient is established by pumping hydrogen ions across the membrane from the matrix in the intermembrane space. Its uneven distribution across the membrane establishes both concentration and electrical gradients.
A hydrogen ion gradient is established by pumping hydrogen ions across the membrane from the intermembrane space into the matrix and its uneven distribution across the membrane establishes concentration and electrical gradients.
Hydrogen ions are present in the intermembrane space from the beginning and results in the formation of gradients necessary for the function of ATP synthase.

For a summary of feedback controls in cellular respiration, see Table 7.1.

Summary of Feedback Controls in Cellular Respiration

Pathway	Enzyme affected	Elevated levels of effector	Effect on pathway activity
glycolysis	hexokinase	glucose-6-phosphate	decrease
	phosphofructokinase	low-energy charge (ATP, AMP), fructose-6-phosphate via fructose-2,6-bisphosphate	increase
		high-energy charge (ATP, AMP), citrate, acidic pH	decrease
	pyruvate kinase	fructose-1,6-bisphosphate	increase
		high-energy charge (ATP, AMP), alanine	decrease
pyruvate to acetyl CoA conversion	pyruvate dehydrogenase	ADP, pyruvate	increase
		acetyl CoA, ATP, NADH	decrease
citric acid cycle	isocitrate dehydrogenase	ADP	increase
		ATP, NADH	decrease
	α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase	Calcium ions, ADP	increase
		ATP, NADH, succinyl CoA	decrease
electron transport chain		ADP	increase
		ATP	decrease

Table 7.1

Science Practice Connection for AP® Courses

Think About It

Phosphofructokinase is a key enzyme in glycolysis. High levels of ATP or citrate or low pH can decrease the enzyme’s activity. Explain why this is beneficial to the cell.

Teacher Support

This question is an application of Learning Objective 2.16 and Science Practice 7.1 and Learning Objective 2.17 and Science Practice 5.3 because students are connecting changes in concentrations of key molecules (ATP and citrate) and a change in an environmental variable (pH) to the regulation of glycolysis via negative feedback.

Possible answer:

Elevated levels of ATP, citrate, or a more acidic pH indicate a state of high cellular energy. Thus, phosphofructokinase activity is lowered to reduce the concentration of intracellular glucose in order to slow down cellular respiration and allow the cell to use the energy it has already captured.

7.7 Regulation of Cellular Respiration