Type-Ⅱ fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (FAS-Ⅱ) is the only essential biosynthesis pathway that producing saturated and unsaturated fatty acids for bacteria and plant cell assembly and cellular metabolism. It utilizes a series of individual enzymes encoded by discrete genes to stepwisely catalyze lipid chain growing carried by the substrate carrier protein-acyl carrier protein (ACP). Due to its indispensable biological role in bacteria growth, as well as the distinct biological regulation mechanisms from mammalian fatty acid biosynthesis (FAS-I), the enzymes involved in FAS-Ⅱ have been considered as important anti-pathogenic drug targets for a long time. Hence, investigating the catalysis and dynamic regulation mechanisms of FAS-Ⅱ, developing novel anti-pathogenic drugs against the enzymes involved in FAS-Ⅱ is critical to the field. We here summarize the catalytic mechanism studies and inhibitor discovery work involved in FAS-Ⅱ so far, which may potentially facilitate further understanding of FAS-Ⅱ biological functions as well as antibacterial drug discovery for infectious diseases.

Key words: type-II fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (FAS-II), acyl carrier protein (ACP), substrate recognition, catalysis regulation, inhibitor discovery