β-oxidation of fatty acid

β-oxidation is the catabolic process by which fatty acid molecules are broken down to
generate acetyl-CoA, NADH and FADH2.
Site - Prokaryotes = cytosol
Eukaryotes = mitochondria
It is named as such because the beta carbon of the fatty acid undergoes oxidation to a carbonyl group.
After production, acetyl-CoA enters the citric acid cycle, and NADH and FADH2, are used in the electron
transport chain.

Fatty acid catabolism consists of:

1. Activation and membrane transport of free fatty acids by binding to coenzyme A.

2. Oxidation of the beta carbon to a carbonyl group.
3. Cleavage of two-carbon segments resulting in acetyl-CoA.
4. Oxidation of acetyl-CoA to carbon dioxide in the citric acid cycle.
5. Electron transfer from electron carriers to the electron transport chain in oxidative
phosphorylation.

Free fatty acids are activated using ATP, to form acyl-CoA.

Then, beta-oxidation occurs by cleaving two carbons every cycle to form acetyl-CoA. Each cycle consists
of 4 steps.
The process continues until all of the carbons in the fatty acid are turned into acetyl CoA.