Acetyl CoA

Acetyl CoA (acetyl Coenzyme A) is a very important enzyme used in the metabolism/ break down of glucose, fatty acids and proteins. In some biosynthetic pathways it is used for its acetyl group e.g. the transfer of acetyl groups to proteins. Acetyl CoA is a large water soluble molecule which is made from the esterfication of acetate and the intermediates in fatty acid biosynthesis Saturated fatty acids are made from acetyl CoA by two enzymes - acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase which are found in the cytosol of animal cells. When pyruvate is produced by glycolysis, it reacts with coenzyme A, forming CO2, NADH and acetly CoA in the mitochondrial matrix. In aerobic conditions, acetyl group of acetyl CoA is almost always oxidised to CO2 via the citric acid cycle, in the mitochondria.