Tissue expression of three structurally different fatty acid binding proteins from rat heart muscle, liver, and intestine.

Three structurally different 14-15 kDa fatty acid binding proteins have have been purified from rat liver, small intestinal epithelium, and heart muscle, and were quantitated using specific antisera in rat tissues. Heart muscle fatty acid binding protein comprised 5% of heart muscle cytosol protein and was also expressed in stomach, muscle, testis, ovary, kidney, brain, and adipose tissue, a pattern distinct from both liver protein (expressed in liver, small and large intestinal epithelium, and adipose tissue) and intestinal protein (expressed in small and large intestinal epithelium and stomach). Distinctive patterns of tissue expression of the three different fatty acid binding proteins suggest that they may perform different specific functions in fatty acid transport and metabolism.