Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2025

Saturated Fatty Acids Induce Ceramide-associated Macrophage Cell Death
Published on: October 31, 2017
Heart-Type Fatty Acid Binding Protein Binds Long-Chain Acylcarnitines and Protects against Lipotoxicity
Diana Zelencova-Gopejenko1,2, Melita Videja3,4, Aiga Grandane5
1Department of Physical Organic Chemistry, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia.
Abstract:
Heart-type fatty-acid binding protein (FABP3) is an essential cytosolic lipid transport protein found in cardiomyocytes. FABP3 binds fatty acids (FAs) reversibly and with high affinity. Acylcarnitines (ACs) are an esterified form of FAs that play an important role in cellular energy metabolism. However, an increased concentration of ACs can exert detrimental effects on cardiac mitochondria and lead to severe cardiac damage. In the present study, we evaluated the ability of FABP3 to bind long-chain ACs (LCACs) and protect cells from their harmful effects. We characterized the novel binding mechanism between FABP3 and LCACs by a cytotoxicity assay, nuclear magnetic resonance, and isothermal titration calorimetry. Our data demonstrate that FABP3 is capable of binding both FAs and LCACs as well as decreasing the cytotoxicity of LCACs. Our findings reveal that LCACs and FAs compete for the binding site of FABP3. Thus, the protective mechanism of FABP3 is found to be concentration dependent.
More Related Videos
08:35A Model of Experimental Steatosis In Vitro: Hepatocyte Cell Culture in Lipid Overload-Conditioned Medium
Published on: May 18, 2021
07:03Author Spotlight: Establishing MASLD Cell Models for Investigating Disease Mechanisms and the Lipid-Lowering Effects of Koumiss
Published on: July 19, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Fats as Energy Storage Molecules
Lipids as Anchors
The carboxy-terminal of most of the prenylated proteins, such as Ras proteins, contains...
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Overview of Lipid Metabolism
Lipolysis: The Breakdown of Lipids:
Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids, particularly triglycerides, into glycerol and fatty acids. This process typically occurs in the adipose tissue and is triggered by various hormones, including glucagon and...
Structure of Lipids