The coupled oxidation of pyruvate with glutathione and cysteine

Abstract

Among the numerous reactions that pyruvate under- goes in biological systems its oxidation to acetic acid and carbon dioxide is at present little understood. A pyruvate dehydrogenase has been reported in animal tissues, but has not been isolated. As regards oxidative decarboxylation we know that acetate is formed from pyruvate by a number of tissues and bacteria (Lipmann, 1937; Barron & Lyman, 1939; Long & Peters, 1939), and that acetate represents an important stage in the biological degradation of pyruvate (Bartlett & Barron, 1947; Kalnitsky & Barron, 1947).