Functional category : Alpha-oxidation

Name : Alpha-oxidation
Description : This function is present in vertebrates and in Caenorhabditis elegans is predicted. The alpha-oxidation removes the terminal carboxyl group as CO2 displacing the 3-methyl, in 3-methyl-branched fatty acids, to a position that allows the following beta-oxidation steps. One of the most important 3-methyl branched fatty acid is phytanic acid. Enzymes involved in the alpha-oxidation:

a) FACL1 or LACS: activates phytanic acid to phytanoyl-CoA,

b) PHYH: hydroxylates the phytanoyl CoA,

c) HPCL2: decarboxylates to pristanal,

d) pristanalDH: dehydrogenates pristanal to pristanic,

e) VLACS: activates pristanic to prystanoyl-CoA,

f) IDH1: produces oxoglutarate used by PhyH.

Organisms :