Beta-oxidation

what is the first step of beta oxidation

dehydrogenation: fatty acyl CoA undergoes dehydrogenation catalyzed by enzyme acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, this introduces a double bond between the alpha and beta carbon atoms which forms a trans delta squared enoyl-CoA. FAD is reduced to FADH2

What is the second step of beta oxidation

hydration: hydrating the trans delta squared enoyl CoA catalyzed by enoyl CoA hydratase and water is added across the double bond to form L-beta-hydroxylacyl-CoA

what is the third step of beta oxidation

dehydrogenation again: L-beta hydroxylacyl CoA undergoes a second dehydrogenation through L-hydroxyaxyl CoA dehydrogenase which oxides the hydroxyl group of the beta carbon to a keto group to form beta ketoacyl CoA. NAD+ is reduced to NADH

what is the fourth step of beta-oxidation

thiolysis: cleavage of the beta keto acyl CoA by thiolase which uses a molecule of coenzyme A to cleave the bond between the alpha and beta carbons which releases a molecule of acetyl-CoA and fatty acyl-CoA that is 2 carbons shorter

what happens to the shortened fatty acyl-CoA

it re-enters beta oxidation cycle and the process repeats until the entire fatty acid chain is converted into acetyl CoA units

what happens to the Acetyl Co-A produced

it can enter the citric acid cycle to produce energy