Anaerobic glycolysis: Aas a metabolic strategy of tumors for survival under low oxygen supply

The conversion of glucose to lactate in the absence of oxygen has been termed anaerobic glycolysis.

Glycolysis provides 2 moles of ATP per mole of glucose.

The enzyme responsible for net ATP production is pyruvate kinase.

The hydrogen that is produced by the glycolytic glyceraldehyde 3-P dehydrogenase reaction is excreted as lactate.

Metabolic scheme

All tumor cells possess large amounts of glycolytic enzymes.

Therefore, at low oxygen pressure energy production is possible via glycolysis.