regulation

Last reviewed 01/2018

Regulation of the tricarboxylic acid cycle occurs at several key sites:

  • citrate synthase
  • isocitrate dehydrogenase
  • oxoglutarate dehydrogenase

The key themes are:

  • activation in proportion to the quantity of substrate amassing
  • inhibition in proportion to the quantity of product accumulating
  • activation in proportion to depletion of ATP energy reserves
  • activation in proportion to release of calcium in skeletal muscle

Occasionally, the absence of co-factors, such as FAD for succinate dehydrogenase, will make other equilibrium reactions within the TCA cycle into rate-limiting steps.

The activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase indirectly regulates flux through the TCA cycle by determining the rate of provision of acetyl-CoA to citrate synthase.