Interaction of rat liver microsomes containing saturated or unsaturated fatty acids with fatty acid binding protein: peroxidation effect.

In the studies described here rat liver microsomes containing labeled palmitic, stearic, oleic or linoleic acids were incubated with fatty acid binding protein (FABP) and the rate of removal of 14C-labeled fatty acids from the membrane by the soluble protein was measured using a model system. More unsaturated than saturated fatty acids were removed from native liver mircrosomes incubated with similar amounts of FABP. The in vitro peroxidation of microsomal membranes mediated by ascorbate-Fe++, modified its fatty acid composition with a considerable decrease of the peroxidizability index. These changes in the microsomes facilitated the removal of oleic and linoeic acids by FABP, but the removal of palmitic and stearic acids was not modified. This effect is proposed to result from a perturbation of membrane structure following peroxidation with release of free fatty acids from susceptible domains.