Before the oxidation of the fatty acid, it must undergo priming or activation. The fatty acid activation takes place in an ATP dependent acylation reaction resulting in synthesis of fatty acyl-CoA. The activation is carried out by family of three Acyl-CoA synthases (thiokinases). They catalyze activation of long chain fatty acids, esterifying them to coenzyme A. The reaction of activation of fatty acid is given below:
Hydrolysis of pyrophosphate, PPi (P~P) which is exergonic and overall, two ~P bonds of ATP are broken down during fatty acid activation. The hydrolysis of two phosphate bonds which are high-energy bonds of ATP acts as energy source for the reaction. PPi is eventually broken down to two phosphate ions. The exergonic hydrolysis of pyrophosphate is catalyzed with help of inorganic pyrophosphatase enzyme.
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