Characterizing Dynamics-Driven Ligand Selection of Adipocyte Fatty Acid Binding Protein

Kim Ha

Name of Award

APDC Faculty Research & Scholarly Activities Grant

Date Awarded

5-2017

Department/School

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Project Description

Kim Ha, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, received $7,100 to complete collection and analysis of structural and dynamics measurements of AFABP by high-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Many metabolic diseases (including diabetes, asthma, and allergy) are unified through their relationship to the influx of inflammation and dysregulation of inflammatory signaling lipids1.

Fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are intracellular lipid chaperones that play an essential role in controlling inflammatory lipids in ad-ipose (fat) tissues and are a target for molecular therapies to treat diabetes2. FABPs are abundantly expressed and reversibly bind to a variety of hydrophobic ligands, including unesterified fatty acids and other lipid second messengers, and mediate their intra-cellular metabolism.

While the traditional view is that FABPs serve as intracellular fatty acid buffers, it has been proposed that FABPs function sequester and delivers ligands to regulate signaling pathways and enzyme activity. In particular, the role of FABP from adipose tissue (AFABP) has a significant role in controlling the inflammatory response and subsequent metabolic regulation.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS