(a) Give the products that result from the hydrolysis of the phosphate ester group of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), an important compound in the glycolysis pathway.

(b) The ΔG°´ for the hydrolysis of PEP is 261.9 kJ mol^–1 (14.8 kcal mol^–1), which puts it well into the category of a “high-energy” compound. Most phosphate esters have a ΔG°´ for hydrolysis of about 213.8 kJ mol^–1 (3.3 kcal mol^–1). Explain why the hydrolysis of PEP releases much more energy than the hydrolysis of an ordinary phosphate ester.

Transcribed Image Text:

OPO H₂C=C-CO₂ phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)