Lipolysis and Fatty acid

oxidation

Abeer Mohamed Abass, BSc, MSc

Department of Biochemistry
Faculty of Medicine

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 Objectives
Describe the processes by which fatty acids are
transported in the blood and activated and
transported into the matrix of the mitochondria for
breakdown to obtain energy.
 Outline the β -oxidation pathway by which fatty
acids are metabolized to acetyl-CoA.
Explain how fatty acid oxidation produce of large
quantities of ATP.
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 Lipolysis

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Definition: break down of lipids
(Triacylglycerol) into fatty acids and glycerol.

Occur in adipose tissues in fasting condition,

by hormone sensitive lipase .

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 Lipolysis

TAG HSL Acetyl CoA

FA
adipose tissue
Albumin

b-oxidation
liver

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 Fate of glycerol

 Glycerol transported to liver where convert

to glycerol 3-phosphate by action of glycerol

kinase .

 Glycerol 3-phosphate enter glycolysis or

gluconeogenesis.
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 Fate of fatty acids

 Fatty acids enter the cell and

degradate(oxidation) to give

energy.
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There are three types of fatty acid oxidation:
1.alpha oxidation: break the fatty acid at
alpha carbon to give Co2.
2. beta oxidation: break the fatty acid at beta
carbon to give 2 carbons substance (acetyl
CoA)
3. omega oxidation.
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CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-C00H
W B alpha

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 Beta oxidation of fatty acids

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 Definition : break down of fatty acid into

acetyl CoA units to give energy.

 Occur in mitochondrial matrix.

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 Beta Oxidation
8 carbon Fatty Acid Acyl-CoA
CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2C~SCoA
O

CH3C~SCoA
O CH3C~SCoA
O
CH3C~SCoA
O CH3C~SCoA
O
4 two carbon Acetyl-CoAs
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Steps of fatty acid oxidation

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 • There are three steps of fatty acid oxidation:

1- Activation of the fatty acid

2- Transport of the activated fatty acid through the

inner mitochondrial membrane to the

mitochondrial matrix.

3- β-oxidation reactions
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The activated fatty acids
is transferred into the
mitochodrial matrix by
carnitine transporter.

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 1.5

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 2.5

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 1.5

2.5

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Oxidation of fatty acids produces
a large quantity of ATP.

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 Fatty acids with an odd number of carbon atoms
are oxidized by β-oxidation, producing acetyl-
CoA, until a three-carbon (propionyl-CoA).
 Propionyl CoA is converted to succinyl-CoA(a
constituent of the citric acid cycle).
 Propionyl residue from an odd-chain fatty acid is
the only part of a fatty acid that is glucogenic.
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 Peroxisomes oxidize very long

chain fatty acids.

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Regulation of long chain
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lipolysis and acid oxidation in the liver
fatty acid oxidation 31
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 Overview of mitochondrial long-chain fatty acid metabolism
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 References:
1. Harper’s Illustrated Biochemistry, Oxidation of Fatty acids:
Ketogenesis.
2. Lippincott’s Illustrated Reviews :Biochemistry, Fatty acid
and triacylglycerol metabolism.
3. Marks Basic Medical Biochemistry, oxidation of fatty acids and
ketone bodies.

4. USMLE Road Map: Biochemistry. Lipid metabolism.

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