Giardia lamblia, an amitochondriate eukaryote, contains acetyl-CoA synthetase (ADP-forming), an enzyme known only from one other eukaryote (Entamoeba histolytica) and a few anaerobic prokaryotes. The enzyme has been purified about 350-fold. The activity in the direction of acetate formation was dependent on ADP and inorganic phosphate. The reverse reaction could not be detected. Succinyl-CoA, propionyl-CoA and dADP were utilized with lower efficiency. The enzyme did not utilize AMP plus PP_i thus differs from the broadly distributed acetyl-CoA synthetase (AMP-forming). The enzyme is responsible for acetate production accompanied by ATP generation, thus plays an important role in G. lamblia metabolism.