Palmitate is a 16 carbon atom containing a chain of Acetyl-Coa and Malonyl-Coa. The capacity of mitochondrial production is the palmitate with its 16C atoms. Any other fatty acid is elongated, the mitochondria can only synthesize palmitate.

Generation of Malonyl-Coa for the fatty acid synthesis

Production of the Malony-Coa happens via Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase enzyme (ACC - Synthesis of Malonyl-CoA). The synthesis requires a high energy state, which is generated by the ATP excess by the TCA cycle in the mitochondria (Figure 1.)

The "production" of Malonyl-CoA starts in the mitochondria with the excess amount of Citrate from the TCA cycle.

Figure 1. Production of the Malonyl-CoA in the cytosol

Citrate is transported into the cytosol through the citrate shuttle. In the cytosol, citrate changes back to Acetyl-CoA in an ATP-dependent process.

Acetyl-CoA is being used by the ACC enzyme in the second enzymatic step of the carboxylase reaction, followed by the production of the Malonyl-Coa molecule.

The 3C atom-containing molecule the fatty acid synthesis can be initiated now.



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