Malate–aspartate shuttle

<p>The malate–aspartate shuttle (sometimes simply the malate shuttle) is a biochemical system for translocating electrons produced during <a href="/facts/Glycolysis/a5ApxLoG">glycolysis</a> across the <a href="/facts/Semipermeable/YxENKzn5">semipermeable</a> <a href="/facts/Inner_membrane_of_the_mitochondrion/IJIE4o0h">inner membrane of the mitochondrion</a> for <a href="/facts/Oxidative_phosphorylation/en2l08P9">oxidative phosphorylation</a> in <a href="/facts/Eukaryote/SkwyPLMA">eukaryotes</a>. These electrons enter the <a href="/facts/Electron_transport_chain/QjcIkgeR">electron transport chain</a> of the mitochondria via <a href="/facts/Reducing_equivalent/yE5ukPx6">reduction equivalents</a> to generate <a href="/facts/Adenosine_Triphosphate/nB9bwgcU">ATP</a>. The shuttle system is required because the mitochondrial <a href="/facts/Inner_mitochondrial_membrane/IJIE4o0h">inner membrane</a> is impermeable to <a href="/facts/NADH/BHdLW925">NADH</a>, the primary reducing equivalent of the electron transport chain. To circumvent this, <a href="/facts/Malic_acid/mSbExe77">malate</a> carries the <a href="/facts/Reducing_equivalents/yE5ukPx6">reducing equivalents</a> across the membrane.
</p>

Malate–aspartate shuttle open-in-new

Malate–aspartate shuttle