pyruvate decarboxylation pyruvate decarboxylation pyruvate decarboxylation or pyruvate oxidation, also known as the link reaction, swanson conversion, or oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate, is the conversion of pyruvate into acetyl-coa by the enzyme complex pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. pyruvate dehydrogenase complex reaction the reaction may be simplified as: pyruvate + nad+ + coa → acetyl-coa + nadh + co2 pyruvate oxidation is the step that connects glycolysis and the krebs cycle. in glycolysis, a single glucose molecule (6 carbons) is split into 2 pyruvates (3 carbons each). because of this, the link reaction occurs twice for each glucose molecule to produce a total of 2 acetyl-coa molecules, which can then enter the krebs cycle. energy-generating ions and molecules, such as amino acids and carbohydrates, enter the krebs cycle as acetyl coenzyme a and oxidize in the cycle. the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (pdc) catalyzes the decarboxylation of pyruvate, resulting in the synthesis of acetyl-coa, co2, and nadh. in eukaryotes, this enzyme complex regulates pyruvate metabolism, and ensures homeostasis of glucose during absorptive and post-absorptive state metabolism. as the krebs cycle occurs in the mitochondrial matrix, the pyruvate generated during glycolysis in the cytosol is transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane by a pyruvate carrier under aerobic conditions.