Answer to Question #349916 in Biochemistry for Who's Who

Question

If eight acetyl - Coa are produced from a fatty acyl -CoA in B- oxidation, what is the equivalent number of ATP Molecules synthesized solely from them

Answer 1

Each two carbon atoms of the fatty acid create one molecule of acetyl-CoA.

Therefore to produce 8 acetyl-CoA, it is needed a CoA derivative of fatty acid that contains 2x8=16 Carbon atoms. The fatty acyl-CoA is Palmitoyl-CoA.

The equation for $\beta$-oxidation:

Palmitoyl-CoA + 7CoA + 7O₂ + 28Pi + 28ADP → 8 acetyl-CoA + 28ATP + 7H₂O

28 ATP molecules are synthesized during $\beta$-oxidation.

8 acetyl-CoA can be oxidized to carbon dioxide in the citric acid cycle with realising of ATP molecules as well :

8 Acetyl-CoA + 16O₂ + 80Pi + 80ADP → 8CoA + 80ATP + 16CO₂ + 16H₂O

80 ATP molecules are produced during the oxidization of these 8CoA molecules in the citric acid cycle.

The total number of ATP molecules that can be synthesized from Palmitoyl-CoA is 28 + 80 = 108 molecules.