Pyruvate Carboxylase (PC)

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) is an enzyme of the ligase class that catalyzes the reversible carboxylation of pyruvate to form oxaloacetate (OAA).It is an important anaplerotic reaction that provides oxaloacetate precursor for the citric acid cycle. The enzyme is a mitochondrial protein containing a biotin prosthetic group, requiring magnesium or manganese and acetyl CoA, and occurs in liver but not in muscle.

Pyruvate carboxylasehas been found in a wide variety of prokaryotes and eukaryotes including fungi, bacteria, plants, and animals. In mammals, PC plays a crucial role in gluconeogenesis and lipogenesis, in the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters, and in glucose-induced insulin secretion by pancreatic islets.