InterPro domain: IPR013114

Fatty acids biosynthesis occurs by two distinct pathways: in fungi, mammals and mycobacteria, type I or associative fatty-acid biosynthesis (type I FAS) is accomplished by multifunctional proteins in which distinct domains catalyse specific reactions; in plants and most bacteria, type II or dissociative fatty-acid biosynthesis (type II FAS) is accomplished by distinct enzymes [ 1 ].

Both FabZ and FabA catalyse the dehydration of beta-hydroxyacyl acyl carrier protein (ACP) to trans 2-enoyl ACP. However, FabZ and FabA display subtle differences in substrate specificities, whereby FabA is most effective on acyl ACPs of 9-11 carbon atoms in length, while FabZ is less specific. Unlike FabA, FabZ does not function as an isomerase and cannot initiate unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. However, only FabZ can act during the elongation of unsaturated fatty acid chains.

1. Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of beta-hydroxyacyl ACP dehydratase (FabZ) from Plasmodium falciparum. Acta Crystallogr. D Biol. Crystallogr. 60, 120-1