Long-chain-fatty-acid—Co A Ligase

Long-chain-fatty-acid—Co A Ligase

The Long chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase enzyme is a member of the ligase family that activates the breakdown of complex fatty acids. Long chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase plays a crucial role in intermediary metabolism by catalyzing the formation of fatty acyl-CoA by a two-step process proceeding through an adenylated intermediate. It is an enzyme present in all organisms from bacteria to humans. It catalyzes the pre-step reaction for β-oxidation of fatty acids or can be incorporated in phospholipids.

Long chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase, LC-FACS, plays a role in the physiological regulation of various cellular functions via the production of long chain fatty acyl-CoA esters, which reportedly have affected protein transport, enzyme activation, protein acylation, cell signaling, and transcriptional regulation. The formation of fatty acyl-CoA is catalyzed in two steps: a stable intermediate of fatty acyl-AMP molecule and then the product is formed—fatty acid acyl-CoA molecule.

Fatty acyl CoA synthetase catalyzes the activation of a long fatty acid chain to a fatty acyl CoA, requiring the energy of 1 ATP to AMP and pyrophosphate. This step uses 2 "ATP equivalents" because pyrophosphate is cleaved into 2 molecules of inorganic phosphate, breaking a high-energy phosphate bond.