Trifunctional enzyme subunit alpha, mitochondrial

Mitochondrial trifunctional enzyme catalyzes the last three of the four reactions of the mitochondrial beta-oxidation pathway. The mitochondrial beta-oxidation pathway is the major energy-producing process in tissues and is performed through four consecutive reactions breaking down fatty acids into acetyl-CoA. Among the enzymes involved in this pathway, the trifunctional enzyme exhibits specificity for long-chain fatty acids. Mitochondrial trifunctional enzyme is a heterotetrameric complex composed of two proteins, the trifunctional enzyme subunit alpha/HADHA described here carries the 2,3-enoyl-CoA hydratase and the 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase activities while the trifunctional enzyme subunit beta/HADHB bears the 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase activity. Independently of the subunit beta, the trifunctional enzyme subunit alpha/HADHA also has a monolysocardiolipin acyltransferase activity. It acylates monolysocardiolipin into cardiolipin, a major mitochondrial membrane phospholipid which plays a key role in apoptosis and supports mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes in the generation of ATP. Allows the acylation of monolysocardiolipin with different acyl-CoA substrates including oleoyl-CoA for which it displays the highest activity.