Acetate thiokinase catalyzes the following reaction:

Acetate + CoASH + ATP <=> Acetyl-CoA + AMP + PPi

The enzyme will also act on fluoroacetate in the same manner, converting it to fluoroacetyl-CoA, which, after combination with oxaloacetate to form fluorocitrate, inhibits the citric acid cycle enzyme aconitase. Thus, fluoroacetate can be very deadly to cells.