Utilization of glycerol

thumb|vpravo|180px|Structural formula of glycerol

Glycerol obtained by hydrolysis of triacylglycerols is involved in energy metabolism through the intermediates of glycolysis or gluconeogenesis. The first step is its phosphorylation to glycerol-3-P' by glycerol kinase'. It is followed by its dehydrogenation to dihydroxyacetone-P' catalyzed by 'glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The latter represents an intermediate product of glycolysis/gluconeogenesis.

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Source
Fontana J., Trnka J., Maďa P., Ivák P. a kol.:Transformation of substances and energy in the cell. In: Functions of cells and the human body : Multimedia scripts. Available online from: