Fig. 2.

The dysregulated process of de novo fatty acid synthesis in CRC cells. Enhanced glucose metabolism drives the production of acetyl-CoA, which feeds into the TCA cycle. Citrate is then exported to the cytoplasm, where CL catalyzes its conversion back into acetyl-CoA, a precursor for fatty acid biosynthesis. Key enzymes such as ACC and FASN drive this process, providing essential lipid components for cell membrane formation and energy storage, thereby supporting cancer cell proliferation and progression. The figure was generated by using BioRender.com (“Metabolic pathway in mitochondria”). LD, lipid droplets; CL, citrate lyase; ACC, acetyl-CoA carboxylase; FASN, fatty acid synthase; FATP/CD36, fatty acid transporters.