TPP cofactor: pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH)
- Links glycolysis to the TCA (tricarboxylic acid) cycle
- Deficiency (thiamine/B1) → lactic acidosis and Wernicke encephalopathy
- Thiamine pyrophosphate = the carbanion chemistry PDH needs to decarboxylate pyruvate → acetyl-CoA
- The glycolysis→TCA gateway; without it pyruvate dead-ends as lactate
- Deficiency phenotype: lactic acidosis, wet beriberi, Wernicke when brain glucose can't enter the cycle
Drugs with this mechanism (1)
- Thiamine pyrophosphate — Active thiamine coenzyme required for carbohydrate metabolism; deficiency impairs energy production and contributes to Wernicke encephalopathy.
All mechanisms · Open TPP cofactor: pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) in the interactive console ↗