aconitate

chemical compound

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 23, 2026

Quick Summary

Aconitate is a salt or ester of aconitic acid. Aconitic acid itself is a crystalline lactonic acid formed indirectly from aconitate. In the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, citrate undergoes isomerization to form isocitrate. This process involves the removal of water from citrate to form cis-aconitate, which is then re-added to form isocitrate.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

metabolism
Formation of coenzyme A, carbon dioxide, and reducing equivalent
…from citrate to form cis-aconitate and then the re-addition of water to cis-aconitate in such a way that isocitrate is formed. It is probable that all three reactants—citrate, cis-aconitate, and isocitrate—remain closely associated with aconitase, the enzyme that catalyzes the isomerization process, and that most of the cis-aconitate is…
Read More
…from citrate to form cis-aconitate and then the re-addition of water to cis-aconitate in such a way that isocitrate is formed. It is probable that all three reactants—citrate, cis-aconitate, and isocitrate—remain closely associated with aconitase, the enzyme that catalyzes the isomerization process, and that most of the cis-aconitate is…
Read More