Time for a détente in the war on the mechanism of cellular fatty acid uptake

摘要

The molecular mechanism by which cells take up long-chain fatty acids has been intensely debated for many years. The dispute centers on the question “Does fatty acid uptake depend on transport proteins, or simple diffusion?” Evidence collected in the past years indicates that the transmembrane protein CD36 (SR-B2) serves to bring fatty acids to or from cell membranes while translocation of fatty acids between the leaflets of the lipid bilayer occurs by passive diffusion. A new contribution from Jay et al. ( ) published in the shows results of live cell experiments using fluorescent indicators, supporting the hypothesis that long-chain fatty acids diffuse rapidly across biological membranes. We argue that this additional evidence further integrates opposing models of diffusion and translocation.