Structure of ATP citrate lyase revealed, holding new promises for the treatment of cancer and metabolic disorders

In collaboration with other structural biologists in Germany and France, the team of dr. Kenneth Verstraete (lab of prof. Savvas Savvides) managed to reveal the structure of the important molecular machine ATP citrate lyase (ACLY).

ACLY is an indispensable enzyme in the biochemical pathways of almost all living organisms, crucial in the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, thereby essential for cellular life and integrity. Interestingly, it also plays a key role in several diseases, including atherosclerosis, metabolic diseases and cancer. A lot of cancer cells are namely depending on fatty acids for their growth and ACLY activity is typically enhanced in cancer cells. Therefore, ACLY is an interesting therapeutic target. The discovery of the structure of ACLY will for sure guide the development of new therapies for these diseases.

This highly relevant work has recently been published in the top journal ‘Nature’.

More information can be found on the website of VIB (in Dutch) via this link. 

The publication can be found via this link.