Intriguingly, two carboxylates instead of one mediate ion binding.

The route is based on the oxidative rearrangement of 3-arylindole-2-carboxylates.

Beta-oxidation of carboxylates takes place both in mitochondria and peroxisomes and in each pathway parallel enzymes exist for each conversion step.

Side-chain carboxylates of glutamates and aspartates functionally replace phosphates and thereby generate an overall charge pattern resembling the DNA phosphate backbone.

In order to further clarify the physiological role of this enzyme in the degradation of fatty carboxylates, MFP-2 knockout mice were generated.