Pyruvate Carboxylase Wields a Double-Edged Metabolic Sword

Pyruvate carboxylase-mediated anaplerosis is a well-known regulator of gluconeogenesis. In this issue of Cell Metabolism , Cappel et al. (2019) show that pyruvate carboxylase action has far-reaching roles in metabolic homeostasis as it integrates glucose metabolism with tricarboxylic acid cycle flux, ureagenesis, redox potential, and defense against oxidative stress.