Fatty-acyl-CoA synthase
Fatty acids are key components of a cell, therefore, the regulation or inhibition of fatty acid synthesis hold severe consequences for cellular function. The malfunction of the fatty acid synthesis pathway can result in cancer and obesity. However, the significance of fatty acid synthesis also make the fatty acid synthesis pathway a potential target for the search and study of anticancer and antibiotic drugs. It has been found that in humans, fatty acid synthase, is overly expressed in cancer cells. Therefore, FAS, which has been associated only with energy production prior, is now associated with aggressive tumor growth and survival. Studies have also found that human fatty acid synthase is overly expressed in prostate cancer cells.
Cat food
Fatty acids are an important part of the cats diet, some are more important than others with respect to the cats diet and these are known as essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are nutrients that cats are unable to produce at all or in sufficient amounts to reach their needs. There are 3 essential fatty acids that should be included in a cats diets and they are: Alpha-Linolenic acid, Linoleic acid, and Arachidonic acid. Alpha-Linolenic acid is an Omega–3 fatty acid that is important to cats as it aids in the maintenance of their skin's water barrier. As the water barrier is important to the cats skin, ingredients that are high in Alpha-Linolenic acid, such as flaxseed, should be included in the cats diet. Another source of Omega-3 s are in fish oil however, it is higher in Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which can be important for cats as they have anti-inflammatory properties. Linoleic acid is an example of an Omega-6 fatty acid that also helps with the health of the cat's skin by maintaining the integrity of their epithelial tissues. Linoleic acid is commonly found in plant-based oils, an ingredient that is commonly used as a source of Linoleic acid is sunflower oil. Arachidonic acid is also essential to cats because they are unable to create it from linoleic acid due to an absence of the Delta 6 desaturase enzyme. It's important for their skin for the same reason as Linoleic acid and can be found in ingredients such as animal fat.