Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4, Adipocyte (FABP4)

aP2 (adipocyte Protein 2) is a carrier protein for fatty acids that is primarily expressed in adipocytes and macrophages. aP2 is also called fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4). Blocking this protein either through genetic engineering or drugs has the possibility of treating heart disease,diabetes, asthma, obesity, and fatty liver disease.Baxa et al. (1989) purified human adipocyte FABP (called H-ALBP by them) from normal subcutaneous adipose tissue. The 15-kD protein composed about 1% of total cytosolic protein in human adipose tissue. They also cloned a full-length cDNA that encodes a predicted 132-amino acid polypeptide. Baxa et al. (1989) also identified a consensus tyrosyl kinase phosphorylation site.