text: Generally, fluoroacetates are toxic because they are converted to fluorocitrate by fluoroacetyl coenzyme A. Fluorocitrate can inhibit aconitate hydratase, which is needed for the conversion of citrate, by competitive inhibition. This interrupts the citric acid cycle (TCA cycle) and also causes citrate to accumulate in the tissues and eventually in the plasma. MFA is mainly biotransformed by glutathione transferase enzyme in a phase 2 biotransformation process. The GSH-dependent enzyme couples glutathione to MFA and thereby defluorinating MFA. As a result, a fluoride anion and S-carboxymethylglutathione are produced. The decoupling of fluoride is mediated by a fluoroacetate-specific defluorinase. The defluorinating activity is mainly present in the liver, but also kidneys, lungs, the heart, and the testicles show activity. In the brain, there are no signs of defluorination. Eventually, fluorocitrate (FC) is formed which is the main toxic compound. It binds the aconitase enzyme with a very high affinity and therefore intervenes in the TCA cycle. Citrate in normal circumstances is converted to succinate, but the process is inhibited. The cycle stops and oxidative phosphorylation is prevented since NADH, FADH2 and succinate are required from the TCA cycle. Respiration stops shortly. The poison acts very quickly and has no antidote.
  Mammals are intolerant to MFA. However, a few Australian species (e.g. brush-tailed possum) show a level of tolerance to fluoroacetate by metabolizing it using glutathione-S-transferase. Fluoride can be removed from fluoroacetate or fluorocitrate. It is involved in detoxifying the aryl and alkyl groups by converting them into glutathione conjugates. The  bond is cleaved because of a nucleophilic attack of carbon resulting in the formation of S-carboxymethyl glutathione. This can be afterward excreted in the form of S-carboxymethylcysteine.
  The elimination half-life of biotransformed MFA is about 2 days. When administered, the MFA mainly resides in blood plasma, but can also be traced in the liver, kidney, and muscle tissue.