What is the Role of CACT in Fatty Acid Metabolism?
CACT's primary role is to transport long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria for β-oxidation. Fatty acids are first converted into acyl-CoA in the cytoplasm and then to acylcarnitine by the enzyme carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I). CACT then exchanges acylcarnitine with free carnitine across the inner mitochondrial membrane, enabling the acyl group to be transferred back to CoA by carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPT II) in the mitochondrial matrix. This process is essential for fatty acid degradation and subsequent energy production.
