Fig. 1.

Central carbon metabolic pathways important for cellular energy production and biosynthetic reactions. In the cytoplasm, glycolysis can directly lead to the anaerobic generation of lactate and ATP. Alternatively, in the presence of oxygen acetyl CoA feeds into the mitochondrial TCA cycle to generate electron donors for ATP synthesis via OXPHOS. Depending on the metabolic requirements of the cell, glycolytic intermediates may be diverted into the pentose phosphate and serine synthesis pathways. The SSP produces one-carbon units that supply metabolic pathways such as the mitochondrial and cytoplasmic folate cycles, purine synthesis, transsulfuration and the methyl cycle. THF tetrahydrofolate