Fatty acid transport protein 1 FATP

Fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) are an evolutionary conserved family of integral membrane proteins found at the plasma membrane and on internal membranes. FATPs facilitate the unidirectional uptake and/ or intracellular activation of unesterified long-chain and very long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) into a variety of lipid-metabolizing cells and tissues. 

Long-chain fatty acids were previously believed to enter cells by diffusion, but evidence now implicates a family of protein-mediated transporters, the fatty acid transport protein (FATP) family. Internally, fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) constimte a family of low-molecular-weight proteins that function as intracellular transporters of fatty acids. 

A number of studies over the past 10 years have described the kinetic properties and protease sensitivities of cellular fatty acid transfer systems. A general conclusion of these studies is that fatty acid transfer cannot be accounted for simply by a process of passive diffusion. " Moreover, at least three structurally different plasma membrane proteins that may mediate fatty acid transport have been identified by molecular cloning and expression in heterologous systems. These are the fatty acid transporter (FAT)," the fatty acid transport protein (FATP) and the plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein (FABPp ,). ... 

Fatty acid transport protein paralogues 1-6 FATP 1-6 Gene symbols SLC27A1-6 Solute carrier family 27A Very long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase VLCS... 

Martin, G., et al. The human fatty acid transport protein-1 (SLC27A1 FATP-1) cDNA and gene organization, chromosomal localization, and expression. Genomics 2000, 66, 296—304. 

Fatty acid transport protein 1 (FATPl) and long chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ASCLl) were identified as components of a fatty acid transport system in expression cloning experiments, which specifically targeted cellular fatty acid uptake (15). As both FATP and ACSLl were selected in these experiments, it was suggested that fatty acid transport occurred by a coupled transport-activation (15). This mechanism was first shown to occur in gram-negative bacteria and is referred to as vectorial acylation (3). Six different isoforms of FATP have subsequently been identified experimentally in mice, rats, and humans (e.g., in mice, mmFATPl-6). 

Herrmann T, van der Hoeven F, Grone HJ, Stewart AF, Langbein L, Kaiser I, Liebisch G, Gosch I, Buchkremer F, Drobnik W, Schmitz G, Stremmel W. Mice with targeted disruption of the fatty acid transport protein 4 (Fatp 4, Slc27a4) gene show features of lethal restrictive dermopathy. J. Cell. Biol. 2003 161 1105-1115. 

Fatty acid transporters (FATPs, CD36) in the plasma membrane facilitate the movement of fatty acids between Intracellular binding proteins (e.g., FABP) and extracellular carriers (e.g., albumin). 

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