Glycolysis, the breakdown of glucose, is one of the most conserved and extensively studied biochemical pathways. Designing principles from chemistry and thermodynamics allow for energy production, biosynthesis and cellular communication. However, the kinetics or metabolic flux through the pathway also determines its function. Recently, there have been numerous developments that establish new allosteric interactions of glycolytic enzymes with small molecule metabolites and other mechanisms that may cooperate to allow for addition complex regulation of glycolysis. This review surveys these newfound sources of glycolysis regulation and discusses their possible roles in establishing kinetic design principles of glycolysis.
Keywords: Kinetics; feedback regulation; feedforward regulation; glucose metabolism; network design principles.