Transport of fatty acids into adipocytes

The influx of diet-derived free fatty acids into adipose tissue leads to a variety of metabolic and regulatory responses that affect both the development of obesity and the homeostatic mechanisms linked to adipocytokine synthesis and secretion, as well as insulin resistance and inflammatory disease. Despite the importance of such fatty acids in signal transduction, the biochemical mechanisms that facilitate long-chain fatty acid influx into fat cells remain enigmatic. On the basis of biochemical and/or molecular genetic approaches, a number of adipocyte plasma membrane proteins have been implicated in facilitating free fatty acid influx. This review focusses on a description of the proteins considered to be the major contributors to adipocyte fatty acid influx, their identification and evaluation on the basis of gain or loss-of-f unction studies, as well as their potential modes of action.