Fatty acids bound to albumin are transferred across the plasma membrane by the action of fatty acid transport proteins (FATP), fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36), caveolins and plasma membrane fatty acid binding proteins (FABPpm). Inside the cell, fatty acids undergo vectorial acylation, a process catalyzed by acyl-CoA synthases (ACS), that traps them in the cytoplasm as acyl-CoA thioesters. The acyl-CoA thioesters are then conveyed through different metabolic pathways in mitochondria, peroxisomes and microsomes based on the cell energy status. ACS: acyl-CoA synthases; CACT: carnitine acyl carnitine translocase; CPT-1: carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1; CPT-2: carnitine palmitoyl transferase-2; FA: fatty acid; FABPpm: plasma membrane fatty acid binding proteins; FAT/CD36: fatty acid translocase; FATP: fatty acid transport proteins; OCTN2: organic cation transporter novel 2.