Fatty acid oxidation also occurs in peroxisomes when the fatty acid chains are too long to be processed by the mitochondria. The same enzymes are used in peroxisomes as in the mitochondrial matrix and acetyl-CoA is generated. Very long chain (greater than C-22) fatty acids, branched fatty acids, some prostaglandins and leukotrienes undergo initial oxidation in peroxisomes until octanoyl-CoA is formed, at which point it undergoes mitochondrial oxidation.
One significant difference is that oxidation in peroxisomes is not coupled to ATP synthesis. Instead, the high-potential electrons are transferred to O, which yields hydrogen peroxide. The enzyme catalase, found primarily in peroxisomes and the cytosol of erythrocytes (and sometimes in mitochondria), converts the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.
Peroxisomal β-oxidation also requires enzymes specific to the peroxisome and to very long fatty acids. There are four key differences between the enzymes used for mitochondrial and peroxisomal β-oxidation:
# The NADH formed in the third oxidative step cannot be reoxidized in the peroxisome, so reducing equivalents are exported to the cytosol.
# β-oxidation in the peroxisome requires the use of a peroxisomal carnitine acyltransferase (instead of carnitine acyltransferase I and II used by the mitochondria) for transport of the activated acyl group into the mitochondria for further breakdown.
# The first oxidation step in the peroxisome is catalyzed by the enzyme acyl-CoA oxidase.
# The β-ketothiolase used in peroxisomal β-oxidation has an altered substrate specificity, different from the mitochondrial β-ketothiolase.
Peroxisomal oxidation is induced by a high-fat diet and administration of hypolipidemic drugs like clofibrate.