Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN) catalyzes the synthesis of palmitate from acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA, in the presence of NADPH, into long-chain saturated fatty acids.
In some cancercell lines, this protein has been found to be fused with estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-alpha), in which the N-terminus of FASN is fused in-frame with the C-terminus of ER-alpha.
FASN ishighly expressed in adipocytes and liver.
FASN is a central enzyme in de novo lipogenesis.
FASN is a target for SREBP and is upregulated by LXR activation; it is also one of the accepted markers for insulin resistance, SREBP and LXR activation.