Pyruvate dehydrogenase

Pyruvate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that converts pyruvate products of glycolysis or other metabolic pathways e.g. amino acid interconversion, into acetyl coenzyme A. It is sited on the inner mitochondrial membrane and so pyruvate must first traverse the mitochondrial membrane by combining with a protein carrier molecule.

The reaction requires substrates of:

• pyruvate
• coenzyme A
• NAD

It yields products:

• acetyl CoA; substrate for further metabolism e.g. tricarboxylic acid cycle, fatty acid synthesis
• carbon dioxide
• NADH; then transferred to the electron carrier chain for energy