Structural dynamics of human fatty acid synthase in the condensing cycle
Long chain fatty acids are the building blocks of fat in human bodies. In mammals, fatty acid synthase (FASN) contains multiple enzymatic domains to catalyze all chemical reactions needed for de novo fatty acid synthesis1. While the chemical reactions carried out by these enzymatic domains are well defined, how the dimeric FASN with an open architecture continuously catalyzes such reactions to synthesize a complete fatty acid remains elusive. Here, using a strategy of tagging and purifying endogenous FASN in HEK293 for single particle cryogenic electron microscopy studies, we characterized the structural dynamics of endogenous human FASN. We captured the conformational snapshots of various functional substates in the condensing cycle and developed a procedure to analyze particle distribution landscape of FASN with different orientations between its condensing and modifying wings. Together, we reveal that FASN function does not require large rotational motion between its two major functional domains during the condensing cycle, and that the catalytic reactions in condensing cycle carried out by two monomers are unsynchronized. Our data thus provide a new composite view of FASN dynamics during the fatty acid synthesis condensing cycle.Abstract
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Supplementary information
Supplementary Information
This file contains Supplementary Figures 1-9.
Supplementary Video 1
Docked Rat ACP into ACP-KS group. Rat ACP (PDB: 2PNG) is docked into the ACP density in ACP-KS group. Two different positions of ACP, position 1 (salmon) and position 2 (grey) are displayed using the same view with Fig 2d. Rat ACP (white cylinder helix bundle) is docked into the ACP density. Position 1 (salmon) shows a density inserted into the catalytic cavity, marked as Ppant. In position 2 (grey), a helical density from ACP engages with H68 and K70 of KS. The same color code is used with Fig 2d. The movie is generated to use ChimeraX.
Supplementary Video 2
Docked Rat ACP into ACP-MAT group. Rat ACP (PDB: 2PNG) is docked into the ACP density in ACP-MAT group. Movie displays ACP-MAT engagement using the same view with Fig 2g. The same color code is used with Fig 2g. The movie is generated to use ChimeraX.
Supplementary Video 3
Docked Rat ACP into ACP in transition. Rat ACP (PDB: 2PNG) is docked into the ACP density in ACP in transition group. Movie displays ACP in transition using the same view with Fig 2h. The same color code is used with Fig 2h. The movie is generated to use ChimeraX.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Choi, W., Li, C., Chen, Y. et al. Structural dynamics of human fatty acid synthase in the condensing cycle. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08782-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08782-w
Advertising by Adpathway




