Figure 1
From: The pivotal role of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases in metabolic flexibility
PDC and PDKs occupy central positions in cellular energy metabolism. Fatty acid and glucose compete with each other for oxidation at the level of the PDC in mammals. PDC catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to form acetyl-CoA and thus links glucose metabolism and fatty acid metabolism. PDC can be phosphorylated by PDKs, which can be regulated by mitochondrial acetyl-CoA, NADH, pyruvate, ATP and nuclear transcription factors. ERRα: Estrogen related receptor α; FoxO: Forkhead box protein O; NEFA: Non-esterified fatty acid; PDC: Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex; PDKs: Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases; PGC1α: PPARγ co-activator 1α; PPARs: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors; TG: Triglyceride; TCA: Tricarboxylic acid.