Targeting acetyl-CoA carboxylases: small molecular inhibitors and their therapeutic potential.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylases (ACCs) play a rate-limiting role in fatty acid biosynthesis in plants, microbes, mammals and humans. ACCs have the activity of both biotin carboxylase (BC) and carboxyltransferase (CT), catalyzing carboxylation of Acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA. In the past years, ACCs have been used as targets for herbicides in agriculture and for drug discovery and development of human diseases, such as microbial infections, diabetes, obesity and cancer. A great number of small molecule ACC inhibitors have been developed, including natural and non-natural (artificial) products. These chemicals target BC reaction, CT reaction or ACC phosphorylation. This article provides a comprehensive review and updates of ACC inhibitors, with a focus on their therapeutic application in metabolic syndromes and malignant diseases. The patent status of common ACC inhibitors is discussed.