Which carbonyl compound is oxidized in the transformation from oxaloacetate to malate?

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In the transformation from oxaloacetate to malate, the correct compound that is oxidized is oxaloacetate. Oxaloacetate is converted into malate through a reduction reaction, involving the addition of hydrogen atoms.

During this process, a cofactor in the form of NADH is utilized. NADH donates electrons during this reduction, thus being oxidized back to NAD+. This oxidation of NADH is crucial as it provides the necessary reducing equivalents for the conversion of oxaloacetate to malate.

Therefore, the oxidation that takes place is at the level of NADH, which gets converted to NAD+ as it facilitates the reduction of the carbonyl group in oxaloacetate, transforming it into the alcohol functional group present in malate. This process underscores the relationship between oxidation and reduction in biochemical transformations, particularly in metabolic pathways.

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