glyoxylic acid cycle

The glyoxylic acid cycle is a metabolic pathway used by plants, bacteria, and fungi. It allows organisms to convert fats into carbohydrates, a process essential for plant seedlings that need to synthesize glucose from stored fats in seeds. This cycle occurs in the glyoxysome, mitochondria, and cytosol.

The glyoxylate cycle bypasses certain steps of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which normally leads to the loss of carbon dioxide. Instead, it splits isocitrate into succinate and glyoxylate. Glyoxylate then condenses with acetyl coenzyme A to form malate. This sequence allows for the net production of a four-carbon compound from two-carbon units, enabling the synthesis of essential molecules when the primary carbon source is a two-carbon compound like acetate.12