title: Role of fatty acid-binding protein in cardiac fatty acid oxidation.
abstract: Although abundant in most biological tissues and chemically well characterized, the fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) was until recently in search of a function. Because of its strong affinity for long chain fatty acids and its cytoplasmic origin, this protein was repeatedly claimed in the literature to be the transcytoplasmic fatty acid carrier. However, techniques to visualize and quantify the movements of molecules in the cytoplasm are still in their infancy. Consequently the carrier function of FABP remains somewhat speculative. However, FABP binds not only fatty acids but also their CoA and carnitine derivatives, two typical molecules of mitochondrial origin. Moreover, it has been demonstrated and confirmed that FABP is not exclusively cytoplasmic, but also mitochondrial. A function for FABP in the mitochondrial metabolism of fatty acids plus CoA and carnitine derivatives would therefore be anticipated. Using spin-labelling techniques, we present here evidence that FABP is a powerful regulator of acylcarnitine flux entering the mitochondrial beta-oxidative system. In this perspective FABP appears to be an active link between the cytoplasm and the mitochondria, regulating the energy made available to the cell. This active participation of FABP is shown to be the consequence of its gradient-like distribution in the cardiac cell, and also of the coexistence of multispecies of this protein produced by self-aggregation.
authors: Nestlé Research Centre, Nestec Ltd, Vevey, Switzerland.
authors: N C
authors: NC
authors: Fournier
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Richard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D001692:Biological Transport; D002331:Carnitine / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; C490174:Fabp7 protein, rat; D000071438:Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 7; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D002331:Carnitine