[The role of fatty-acid transport proteins (FAT/CD36, FABPpm, FATP) in lipid metabolism in skeletal muscles].

Skeletal muscles display an essential role in the regulation of whole-body energy homeostasis. Because of their hydrophobic nature, long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) can enter cells via passive diffusion along the concentration gradient across the sarcolemma. However, it was also shown recently that protein-mediated transport of LCFAs occurs in skeletal muscles. So far, three groups of long-chain fatty-acid transport proteins have been identified that facilitate LCFA transport: fatty-acid translocase (FAT/CD36), plasma membrane-associated fatty-acid binding protein (FABPpm), and fatty-acid transport proteins (FATP) 1-6. Several studies revealed that both the expression and the translocation of FA transporters is process that can be highly regulated. Recent studies had shown that exercise training increases not only the oxidation of long-chain fatty acids, but also the expression of protein transporters. It was also shown that contractile activity of skeletal muscles is able to induce the translocation of protein transporters (FAT/CD36) zapotrzebofrom the intracellular compartment to the sarcolemma with a subsequent increase in LCFA transmembrane transport.