fatty acid-binding protein-4; fatty acid-binding protein, adipocyte; A-FABP; AFABP; fatty acid-binding protein 4; adipocyte lipid-binding protein; ALBP (FABP4)

Function

• lipid transport protein in adipocytes
• binds both long chain fatty acids & retinoic acid
• delivers long-chain fatty acids & retinoic acid to their cognate receptors in the nucleus
• interacts with PPARG (putative)

Structure

• monomer, homodimer
• forms a beta-barrel structure that accommodates hydrophobic ligands in its interior
• belongs to calycin superfamily, fatty-acid binding protein (FABP) family

Compartment

• cytoplasm, nucleus
• depending on the nature of the ligand, a conformation change exposes a nuclear localization motif & the protein is transported into the nucleus.
• subject to constitutive nuclear export (putative)

More general terms

• fatty acid/retinol binding protein family

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=2167
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:2167
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/600434
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P15090.html