What drives the conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinate?

The conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinate is driven by the hydrolysis of GTP. This reaction is part of the citric acid cycle and involves the release of coenzyme A (CoA) from succinyl-CoA, resulting in the formation of succinate and GTP. The energy that is released during this hydrolysis is utilized to drive the conversion, making it an essential step for energy production within the cycle.

GTP (guanosine triphosphate) can be readily converted into ATP (adenosine triphosphate) through the action of nucleoside diphosphate kinase, thus contributing to the overall energy yield of cellular respiration. This process highlights the importance of substrate-level phosphorylation, where energy is directly harvested in the form of ATP from the conversion of substrates during metabolic reactions.

Other processes, such as the reduction of NAD+, the oxidation of FADH2, or the condensation of Acetyl-CoA, are not involved in the specific conversion of succinyl-CoA to succinate and focus on different steps or cycles within cellular metabolism.