Regulation of fatty acid transport.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present review is to summarize recent developments in the area of regulation of fatty acid transport.


RESULTS
While controversy still exists regarding the contribution of passive diffusion versus protein-mediated fatty acid transport, both processes are now widely accepted. With the recent identification of an increasing number of putative fatty acid transporters, emphasis has been placed on regulation including fatty acid transport function of the protein, and also possible associated functions (acylCoA synthase activity and vectorial channelling to intracellular processing). Deciphering these issues has been facilitated through the use of loss-of-function (such as knockout) and gain-of-function (cell transfectants and transgenic mice) models.


CONCLUSIONS
It is likely that our concept of fatty acid transport will continue to converge, incorporating the individual functions of the wide variety of fatty acid transporters into an integrated physiologic framework with relevance to a number of diseases.
Kalant
David
D
Mike Rosenbloom Laboratory for Cardiovascular Research, McGill University Health Centre, Royal Victoria Hospital, 687 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1A1.
Cianflone
Katherine
K
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D018955:CD36 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000378:metabolism; D050612:Fatty Acid Transport Proteins; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism
D018955:CD36 Antigens; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D050612:Fatty Acid Transport Proteins; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins