Smooth Muscle Fatty Acid Binding Protein: A Regulator of Smooth Muscle Contraction?

Götz, Frank M.
Thole, Hubert H.

¹Institut für Zoologie der Technischen Hochschule Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 10, D-64287 Darmstadt, Germany
²Max-Planck-Institut für experimentelle Endokrinologie, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 7, D-30625 Hannover, Germany

^*Corresponding author

Received April 3, 1996; accepted August 7, 1996

Biological Chemistry 377(10):p 633-638, October 1996.

A fatty acid binding protein has been isolated from chicken gizzard smooth muscle. The partial amino acid sequence (EMBL P80565) of this protein shows high sequence similarities with other members of the fatty acid binding protein family. This is the first fatty acid binding protein isolated from smooth muscle. It may be involved in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction by transporting polyunsaturated fatty acids (e.g. arachidonic acid).