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oxaloacetate

chemical compound
Also known as: OAA

Quick Summary

Oxaloacetate is a salt or ester of oxaloacetic acid. It is a four-carbon compound that plays a crucial role in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle), a key stage of cellular respiration.12

In the TCA cycle, acetyl CoA reacts with oxaloacetate to initiate the cycle, ultimately leading to the regeneration of oxaloacetate. This regeneration is essential for the continuous breakdown of fuel molecules like glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids to harvest energy for the cell. Oxaloacetate is also involved in anaplerotic reactions, which replenish TCA cycle intermediates when they are removed for biosynthesis. It can be formed from pyruvate or phosphoenolpyruvate through reactions that fix carbon dioxide.234

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