Question:

In the Krebs cycle and the urea cycle, the linking amino acid is which of the following?

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Its keto acid partner is oxaloacetate, a TCA intermediate.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
  • Fumarate
  • Alanine
  • Arginine
  • Aspartate
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: In the urea cycle, aspartate condenses with citrulline to form argininosuccinic acid.
Step 2: Argininosuccinic acid is then cleaved to yield arginine and fumarate, releasing fumarate back toward the mitochondrial pool.
Step 3: The keto acid counterpart of aspartate is oxaloacetate, which is a core intermediate of the TCA (Krebs) cycle. Aspartate and oxaloacetate are interconverted by transamination.
Step 4: Because aspartate feeds the urea cycle directly and connects to the Krebs cycle through oxaloacetate, it is the amino acid that links the two cycles.
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