Synthesis Background
Glycogen synthesis is the biochemical pathway that
converts glucose molecules into the energy storage molecule of
glycogen through a series of three steps.
1) ADP glucose pyrophosporylase acts as a catalyst between
a-glucosyl-1-P and adenosine triphosphate to produce
ADP-glucose and inorganic phosphate.
2) Starch Synthase is the enzyme for reacting the ADP
glucose from the ADP Glc PPase (#1) reaction with a glucan
chain to produce adenosine diphosphate and a glucan chain
with an additional a-glucose attached.
3) The Branching Enzyme rearranges the a-1,4 linkages into
a-1,6 glucosyl linkages.
The extent of branching shows the activity of the branching
enzyme.