A 50-year-old male with a history of obesity and metabolic syndrome is evaluated for potential cancer risk due to abnormal lipid profiles. His physician explains that cancer cells often overexpress enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis, such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase, which is regulated by metabolic intermediates. The patient’s elevated citrate levels prompt a discussion about how allosteric regulation coordinates metabolic pathways. In this patient, how does citrate function as an allosteric effector to regulate acetyl-CoA carboxylase in fatty acid biosynthesis?
