{"id":16283,"date":"2024-12-13T08:56:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T07:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adntro.com\/?p=16283"},"modified":"2025-07-28T08:05:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-28T06:05:18","slug":"beta-oxidacion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adntro.com\/en\/blog\/learn-genetics\/beta-oxidation\/","title":{"rendered":"Beta-oxidation of fatty acids"},"content":{"rendered":"

Upon completion of the lipolysis<\/a>, the fatty acids generated enter the bloodstream to be used by our organism in a process known as beta-oxidation<\/b>. This process occurs mainly in the mitochondria of cells such as those of skeletal muscle and the heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transport of fatty acids to the mitochondria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So, how do the fatty acids reach the mitochondria?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. They travel through the bloodstream:<\/strong> Due to their hydrophobic nature, fatty acids cannot move freely through the bloodstream. They must always go hand in hand with albumin, a protein that acts as a transport for fatty acids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. They enter the cell:<\/strong> Thanks to fatty acid transporters, fatty acids pass from the bloodstream into the cell cytoplasm where they are activated and then enter the mitochondria.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. They are activated:<\/strong> Once in the cytoplasm, the fatty acids must be activated in order to enter the mitochondria. This process is called activation of fatty acids<\/strong> and consists of the bonding of a fatty acid to a coenzyme A (CoA) molecule, forming a acyl-CoA<\/strong>. This step is catalyzed by the enzyme acyl-CoA synthetase<\/strong> and requires energy in the form of ATP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. They enter the mitochondria through the Carnitine Shuttle.<\/strong>To enter the mitochondria, the already activated fatty acids (acyl-CoA) require a carrier molecule called carnitine<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Beta-oxidation of fatty acids<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Once the fatty acids reach the mitochondrial matrix, fatty acid beta-oxidation begins, a metabolic pathway in which fatty acids are broken down into two-carbon units to generate acetyl-CoA and produce energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/div>\n\n\n
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    \"Beta-oxidation\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
    <\/div>\n\n\n\n

    The molecules of acetyl-CoA<\/b> can subsequently enter the Krebs cycle for additional energy production in the form of ATP. In addition to acetyl-CoA, beta-oxidation produces NADH and FADH\u2082<\/b> molecules that transport electrons to the electron transport chain<\/b> to produce even more ATP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Beta-oxidation consists of a cyclic series of reactions that, each cycle, shortens the fatty acid chain by two carbons producing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n