pyruvate

Last reviewed 09/2022

Pyruvate is the end-product of the glycolytic pathway. It may have several fates:

  • it may react with reduced co-enzyme A (CoA) to produce acetyl CoA and carbon dioxide
  • transamination of pyruvate results in the formation of the amino acid alanine
  • pyruvate may act as a hydrogen receptor during anaerobic metabolism and become reversibly reduced to lactate by the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase