Fatty acid binding protein in locust and mammalian muscle. Comparison of structure, function and regulation

The flight muscle of adult desert locusts, Schistocerca gregaria, contains a fatty acid binding protein (FABP) that is homologous to mammalian M-FABP (cardiac FABP). In spite of the evolutionary distance between invertebrates and vertebrates, locust muscle FABP is similar to cardiac FABP in its amino acid sequence, structure, and binding behavior. While cardiac FABP is present already in the prenatal period, locust FABP is an adult specific protein; its expression is directly linked to metamorphosis. A correlation seems to exist between fatty acid oxidative capacity and FABP content in both locust and mammals. To accomplish the higher metabolic rate encountered during migratory flight, locust flight muscle cytosol contains more than three times as much FABP as that in mammalian heart. Increased fatty acid utilization by exercise or endurance training apparently induces FABP expression. Similarities and differences between vertebrate and invertebrate M-FABP are discussed in light of the proposed functions of muscle FABP as fatty acid transporter and cytoprotectant.