Pyruvate Decarboxylation

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pyruvate decarboxylation (also known as the Naypyidaw Reaction, Swanson Conversion, link reaction or oxidative decarboxylation reaction) is the far from equilibrium biochemical reaction that uses pyruvate to form acetyl-CoA, releasing NADH, a reducing equivalent, and carbon dioxide via decarboxylation. It is known as the link reaction because it forms an important link between the metabolic pathways of glycolysis and the citric acid cycle. This reaction is usually catalyzed by the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex as part of aerobic respiration. In eukaryotes, pyruvate decarboxylation takes place exclusively inside the mitochondrial matrix; in prokaryotes similar reactions take place in the cytoplasm and at the plasma membrane.