Phosphorolysis 3135512 160658440 2007-09-27T09:19:50Z Malcolma 320496 cat {{Orphan|date=November 2006}} '''Phosphorolysis''' is the [[cleavage]] of a compound in which inorganic [[phosphate]] is the attacking group. It is analogous to [[hydrolysis]]. An example of this is glycogen breakdown by glycogen phosphorylase, which catalyzes attack by inorganic phosphate on the terminal glycosyl residue at the nonreducing end of a glycogen molecule. The result is Glucose 1-phosphate and Glycogen (or starch) (n-1) glucose units. In addition, sometimes phosphorolysis is preferable to hydrolysis (like in the breakdown of glycogen or starch, as in the example above) because glucose 1-phosphate yields more ATP than does free glucose when subsequently catabolized to pyruvate. Another example of phosphorolysis is seen in the conversion of Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate to 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate in glycolysis. The mechanism involves phosphorolysis. {{reaction-stub}} [[Category:Chemical processes]]