Fatty acid-binding protein 1 (FABP1) also known as liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) is a protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

 that in humans is encoded by the FABP1 gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

.

Function

FABP1 encodes the fatty acid-binding protein

Fatty acid-binding protein

The fatty-acid-binding proteins are a family of carrier proteins for fatty acids and other lipophilic substances such as eicosanoids and retinoids. These proteins are thought to facilitate the transfer of fatty acids between extra- and intracellular membranes...

 found in liver. Fatty acid binding proteins are a family of small, highly conserved, cytoplasmic

Cytoplasm

The cytoplasm is a small gel-like substance residing between the cell membrane holding all the cell's internal sub-structures , except for the nucleus. All the contents of the cells of prokaryote organisms are contained within the cytoplasm...

 proteins that bind long-chain fatty acids and other hydrophobic ligands. FABP1 and FABP6

FABP6

Fatty acid binding protein 6, ileal , also known as FABP6, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the FABP6 gene.- Function :...

 (the ileal

Ileum

The ileum is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine may be used instead of ileum.The ileum follows the duodenum...

 fatty acid binding protein) are also able to bind bile acid

Bile acid

Bile acids are steroid acids found predominantly in the bile of mammals. Bile salts are bile acids compounded with a cation, usually sodium. In humans, the salts of taurocholic acid and glycocholic acid represent approximately eighty percent of all bile salts. The two major bile acids are cholic...

s. It is thought that FABPs roles include fatty acid uptake, transport, and metabolism.

Further reading