Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins in Metabolic Disorders
Summary
Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) are a family of small cytosolic chaperones that bind long-chain fatty acids and related lipids, facilitating their intracellular trafficking and modulating lipid-sensitive signalling pathways. There are at least ten tissue-specific isoforms in mammals, each displaying a conserved β-barrel structure and distinct expression pattern in tissues such as liver, adipose, heart and brain. Beyond their classical role in directing fatty acids to metabolic organelles, FABPs participate in transcriptional regulation by delivering lipid ligands to nuclear receptors and interact with membrane or protein partners to fine-tune cellular energy homeostasis. Recent evidence supports the notion that certain FABPs can be secreted and act as adipokines or endocrine mediators, linking adipose tissue function to distant organs. Dysregulation of FABP expression or secretion is now recognised as a key feature of metabolic disorders, including obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular disease. Altered levels of circulating FABP4 and FABP3 have been proposed as predictive biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk, while inhibition of specific FABPs has shown promise in preclinical models as a strategy to improve lipid handling, reduce inflammation and restore glucose homeostasis.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins in Metabolic Disorders publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in fatty acid-binding proteins in metabolic disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Fatty acid-binding protein (FABP): A small intracellular protein that binds long-chain fatty acids and other lipids to facilitate transport and signalling.
Lipolysis: The enzymatic breakdown of stored triglycerides into free fatty acids and glycerol.
Adipokine: A bioactive protein secreted by adipose tissue that acts as a hormone or cytokine.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR): A nuclear receptor that regulates gene expression involved in lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis.
Insulin resistance: A metabolic state in which target tissues exhibit a diminished response to normal circulating levels of insulin.
References
- The Multifunctional Family of Mammalian Fatty Acid–Binding Proteins. Annual Review of Nutrition (2023).
- Fatty Acid Binding Proteins 3 and 4 Predict Both All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in Subjects with Chronic Heart Failure and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Antioxidants (2023).
- Endothelial FABP4 constitutes the majority of basal circulating hormone levels and regulates lipolysis-driven insulin secretion. JCI Insight (2023).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.