The citrate-malate shuttle transports acetyl-CoA produced in the mitochondrion to the cytosol via citrate. Mitochondrial citrate generated by the condensation of acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate in the tricarboxylic (TCA) cycle is transported via the citrate transporter into the cytosol where ATP citrate lyase converts it back to acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetate, the latter is then converted to malate which is then imported into the mitochondrion. Cytosolic acetyl-CoA is essential for several processes including fatty acid biosynthesis and protein acetylation. (Adapted from FBrf0242152.)