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The adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein links obesity and insulin resistance

Obesity is associated with insulin resistance, which is a central component of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (1). Several substances have been implicated in the etiology of insulin resistance, such as circulating free fatty acids (FFAs), as well as tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) and leptin produced by the adipocytes.

In a recent report from Bruce M Spiegelman's laboratory by Hotamisligil et al. (2) a possible functional role for FFAs in adipocytes was studied by creating a mouse strain lacking the adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (aFABP). A null mutation was introduced in the aP2 gene encoding the aFABP, and the mice were crossed to create offspring homozygous for the null mutation (aP2^–/– mice). The resulting inbred homozygous aP2 mutant mice lacked aFABP in their adipocytes, but did not differ phenotypically from their wild-type (aP2^+/+) or heterozygous (aP2^+/–) littermates under standard feeding conditions. The lack of obvious differences in metabolic phenotype