Details for: FABP2

Gene ID: 2169

Gene Type:  Protein-coding  - A gene that serves as a template for producing a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, which is then translated into a functional protein.

Symbol: FABP2

Ensembl ID: ENSG00000145384

Description: fatty acid binding protein 2

Cell Significance Landscape

Associated with

Significant Cells

Cell Significance Index (CSI) scores for the chosen context(s)

  • intestinal epithelial cell CL0002563
    CSI 16.73
    rCSI 17.49%
    PRS 87.02
  • enteroendocrine cell CL0000164
    CSI 14.07
    rCSI 19.23%
    PRS 88.01
  • colonocyte CL1000347
    CSI 13.21
    rCSI 18.94%
    PRS 87.78
  • colon goblet cell CL0009039
    CSI 10.32
    rCSI 24.52%
    PRS 91.35
  • small intestine goblet cell CL1000495
    CSI 7.76
    rCSI 16.99%
    PRS 92.05
  • transit amplifying cell CL0009010
    CSI 7.21
    rCSI 11.03%
    PRS 92.97
  • intestine goblet cell CL0019031
    CSI 7.19
    rCSI 6.38%
    PRS 86.89
  • colon epithelial cell CL0011108
    CSI 7.05
    rCSI 7.38%
    PRS 86.98
  • enteroendocrine cell of small intestine CL0009006
    CSI 6.7
    rCSI 14.74%
    PRS 92.69
  • goblet cell CL0000160
    CSI 6.65
    rCSI 6.29%
    PRS 87.18
  • intestinal tuft cell CL0019032
    CSI 5.79
    rCSI 8.84%
    PRS 91.33
  • IgA plasma cell CL0000987
    CSI 4.54
    rCSI 4.64%
    PRS 91.76
  • enterocyte CL0000584
    CSI 4.46
    rCSI 7.19%
    PRS 86.43
  • paneth cell of epithelium of small intestine CL1000343
    CSI 3.74
    rCSI 10.48%
    PRS 92.72
  • transit amplifying cell of colon CL0009011
    CSI 3.64
    rCSI 4.28%
    PRS 89.59
  • brush cell CL0002204
    CSI 3.35
    rCSI 6.64%
    PRS 92.64
  • intestinal crypt stem cell of small intestine CL0009017
    CSI 2.96
    rCSI 7.98%
    PRS 91.61
  • enterocyte of epithelium of small intestine CL1000334
    CSI 2.85
    rCSI 44.17%
    PRS 92.46
  • BEST4+ enteroycte CL4030026
    CSI 2.75
    rCSI 3.42%
    PRS 89.32
  • type EC enteroendocrine cell CL0000577
    CSI 2.56
    rCSI 9.1%
    PRS 90.74
  • M cell of gut CL0000682
    CSI 2.55
    rCSI 2.71%
    PRS 91.65
  • type L enteroendocrine cell CL0002279
    CSI 2.12
    rCSI 3.99%
    PRS 91.63
  • intestinal crypt stem cell of colon CL0009043
    CSI 1.85
    rCSI 13.91%
    PRS 94.18
  • transit amplifying cell of small intestine CL0009012
    CSI 1.71
    rCSI 7.5%
    PRS 93.04
  • paneth cell CL0000510
    CSI 1.18
    rCSI 1.74%
    PRS 94.68
  • enterocyte of epithelium of large intestine CL0002071
    CSI 1.16
    rCSI 6.11%
    PRS 91.51
  • paneth cell of colon CL0009009
    CSI 0.49
    rCSI 4.84%
    PRS 93.04

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this specific cell.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.

Cell ID: Standard Cell Ontology term used for mapping and comparing cells across experiments. Ensures consistency in analyzing cellular functions across tissues.
Fold Change: Represents the ratio of the current Cell Significance Index to the Cell Significance Index Threshold, indicating how much the gene expression has changed compared to a baseline.
Cell Significance Index: Reflects how strongly a gene is expressed in this cell type. Calculated using techniques like effect size estimation and bootstrapping for reliability.
Network Configuration

Explore relationships of the current gene. Select an Interaction Source: 'ONTOLOGY' for shared pathways (GO/Reactome) or 'STRING' for protein-protein interactions. Further refine by selecting context genes and comparing Cell Significance Index (CSI) scores between baseline and target cell types and their specific contexts.

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Legend:
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  • Node Color (Target Cell CSI, relative to current network):
    • Very High
    • High
    • Medium
    • Low
    • Very Low
    • CSI N/A
  • Node Size: Proportional to Target Cell CSI magnitude
  • STRING PPI Edge
  • Shared Pathway Edge (ONTOLOGY)

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Other Information

This section provides additional information about the gene, including a description generated by an AI language model and details about associated proteins.

## Summary [FABP2](/details-gene/2169), or Fatty Acid Binding Protein 2, is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 4q26. It encodes a small, cytosolic protein that is a member of the fatty acid-binding protein family. The primary function of [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) is the intracellular binding and transport of long-chain fatty acids, playing a critical role in their absorption, transport, and metabolism within the small intestine. Expression data indicates that [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) is a highly specific marker for various cell types of the intestinal epithelium. Clinically, variations in this gene are associated with altered lipid metabolism and insulin resistance ([OMIM: 153245](https://omim.org/entry/153245)). ## Cellular Roles and Expression Landscape The expression profile of [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) demonstrates a profound and specific role within the gastrointestinal system. **Overall**, the gene exhibits its highest significance in '[intestinal epithelial cell](/details-cell/CL0002563)' (CSI: 16.73), underscoring its function as a defining marker for the gut lining. The gene's activity is consistently high across the diverse and specialized cell populations of the intestine. This includes absorptive cells like '[colonocyte](/details-cell/CL1000347)' (CSI: 13.21) and '[enterocyte](/details-cell/CL0000584)' (CSI: 4.46), secretory cells such as '[enteroendocrine cell](/details-cell/CL0000164)' (CSI: 14.07) and '[colon goblet cell](/details-cell/CL0009039)' (CSI: 10.32), and progenitor cells like '[transit amplifying cell](/details-cell/CL0009010)' (CSI: 7.21). This widespread yet highly localized expression pattern suggests that [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) is a fundamental component of intestinal lipid homeostasis, participating in processes from initial nutrient uptake to cellular signaling and maintenance of the epithelial barrier. The notable, albeit lower, significance in '[IgA plasma cell](/details-cell/CL0000987)' (CSI: 4.54) may point to a secondary role in mucosal immunity, possibly related to lipid-mediated signaling. The exclusivity of its high expression to intestinal cell types strongly indicates a highly specialized function with limited roles in other tissues. ## Pathways and Molecular Function The molecular functions and pathway involvements of [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) are highly consistent with its cellular expression profile. According to Gene Ontology annotations, its primary molecular function is 'Fatty acid binding' ([GO:0005504](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0005504)), particularly 'Long-chain fatty acid binding' ([GO:0036041](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0036041)). This enables its central biological process, 'Intestinal lipid absorption' ([GO:0098856](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0098856)), and 'Fatty acid transport' ([GO:0015908](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0015908)). Reactome pathway analysis further situates [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) within broader metabolic contexts, including 'Metabolism of lipids' ([R-HSA-556833](https://reactome.org/content/detail/R-HSA-556833)) and 'Triglyceride metabolism' ([R-HSA-8979227](https://reactome.org/content/detail/R-HSA-8979227)). Its annotated presence in the 'Cytosol' ([GO:0005829](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0005829)) and at the 'Microvillus' ([GO:0005902](https://www.ebi.ac.uk/QuickGO/term/GO:0005902)) aligns perfectly with its role in capturing dietary fatty acids at the apical surface of '[enterocyte](/details-cell/CL0000584)s' and trafficking them for subsequent metabolic processing within the cell. ## Research Directions Research has linked a common polymorphism (Ala54Thr) in [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) to increased fatty acid binding, elevated postprandial lipemia, and insulin resistance, suggesting the gene is a key node in the gut-liver axis and systemic metabolic health ([Link](https://doi.org/10.1172/jci117778)). The gene's high expression in enteroendocrine cells, which are responsible for secreting incretin hormones like GLP-1, presents an intriguing area for further investigation. Based on the available data, several testable hypotheses can be proposed: 1. Altered [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) function or expression levels in '[enteroendocrine cell](/details-cell/CL0000164)s' directly modulates the secretion of gut hormones in response to dietary fat, thereby contributing to the development of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. 2. In '[colon goblet cell](/details-cell/CL0009039)s', [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) influences the lipid composition of the secreted mucus layer. Dysregulation of this process could alter the gut microbiome and compromise the integrity of the mucosal barrier, potentially increasing susceptibility to inflammatory bowel disease. To test the first hypothesis, a key experiment could be designed: - **Experiment:** Generate an intestine-specific knockout of [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) in a mouse model (e.g., using a Villin-Cre driver). These mice and their wild-type littermates would be subjected to a high-fat diet challenge. Key endpoints would include oral glucose tolerance tests, insulin tolerance tests, and measurement of plasma GLP-1 and GIP levels post-gavage with lipids. This would directly assess the role of intestinal [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) in mediating the link between dietary fat intake and systemic glucose homeostasis. Given its intracellular location and role in metabolic disease, [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) represents a potential therapeutic target. A strategy of **inhibition**, likely using a small molecule inhibitor, could be explored to reduce fatty acid uptake and ameliorate the metabolic consequences associated with its overactivity. The highly restricted expression of [FABP2](/details-gene/2169) to the intestine is a significant advantage, as it suggests that a targeted therapy would have a low risk of systemic off-target effects.

Genular Protein ID: 881912928

Symbol: FABPI_HUMAN

Name: Fatty acid-binding protein, intestinal

UniProtKB Accession Codes:

P12104 Q2NKJ1

Database IDs:

AGR 1 AlphaFoldDB 1 Antibodypedia 1 BMRB 1 Bgee 1 BindingDB 1 BioGRID 1 BioGRID-ORCS 1 BioMuta 1 CCDS 1 CDD 1 CPTC 1 CTD 1 ChEBI 4 ChEMBL 1 ChiTaRS 1 DMDM 1 DNASU 1 DisGeNET 1 DrugBank 12 DrugCentral 1 EMBL 7 Ensembl 1 EvolutionaryTrace 1 GO 10 Gene3D 1 GeneCards 1 GeneTree 1 GeneWiki 1 GenomeRNAi 1 HGNC 1 HOGENOM 1 HPA 1 InParanoid 1 IntAct 1 InterPro 5 KEGG 1 MANE-Select 1 MIM 1 MINT 1 MassIVE 1 NCBI Taxonomy 1 OpenTargets 1 OrthoDB 1 PANTHER 2 PDB 7 PDBsum 7 PIR 1 PRINTS 1 PRO 1 PROSITE 1 PathwayCommons 1 PaxDb 1 PeptideAtlas 1 Pfam 1 PharmGKB 1 Pharos 1 PhosphoSitePlus 1 PhylomeDB 1 Proteomes 1 ProteomicsDB 1 RNAct 1 Reactome 1 RefSeq 1 SIGNOR 1 SMR 1 STRING 1 SUPFAM 1 SignaLink 1 SwissLipids 1 TreeFam 1 UCSC 1 VEuPathDB 1 eggNOG 1 iPTMnet 1 jPOST 1 neXtProt 1

Citations:

PubMed ID: 2824476

Title: The human and rodent intestinal fatty acid binding protein genes. A comparative analysis of their structure, expression, and linkage relationships.

PubMed ID: 2824476

DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9258(18)47696-x

PubMed ID: 15815621

Title: Generation and annotation of the DNA sequences of human chromosomes 2 and 4.

PubMed ID: 15815621

DOI: 10.1038/nature03466

PubMed ID: 15489334

Title: The status, quality, and expansion of the NIH full-length cDNA project: the Mammalian Gene Collection (MGC).

PubMed ID: 15489334

DOI: 10.1101/gr.2596504

PubMed ID: 14563446

Title: Intestinal-type and liver-type fatty acid-binding protein in the intestine. Tissue distribution and clinical utility.

PubMed ID: 14563446

DOI: 10.1016/s0009-9120(03)00096-1

PubMed ID: 10070036

Title: Epidermal growth factor regulates fatty acid uptake and metabolism in Caco-2 cells.

PubMed ID: 10070036

DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.1999.276.3.g606

PubMed ID: 14567680

Title: Consequences of single-site mutations in the intestinal fatty acid binding protein.

PubMed ID: 14567680

DOI: 10.1021/bi0301688

PubMed ID: 9204553

Title: Solution structure of human intestinal fatty acid binding protein: implications for ligand entry and exit.

PubMed ID: 9204553

DOI: 10.1023/a:1018666522787

PubMed ID: 12809489

Title: Solution structure of human intestinal fatty acid binding protein with a naturally-occurring single amino acid substitution (A54T) that is associated with altered lipid metabolism.

PubMed ID: 12809489

DOI: 10.1021/bi0273617

PubMed ID: 7883976

Title: An amino acid substitution in the human intestinal fatty acid binding protein is associated with increased fatty acid binding, increased fat oxidation, and insulin resistance.

PubMed ID: 7883976

DOI: 10.1172/jci117778

PubMed ID: 12899384

Title: The association of Ala54Thr variant of intestinal fatty acid binding protein gene with general and regional adipose tissue depots.

PubMed ID: 12899384

Sequence Information:

  • Length: 132
  • Mass: 15237
  • Checksum: 7329BF8D81693DAE
  • Sequence:
    • MAFDSTWKVD RSENYDKFME KMGVNIVKRK LAAHDNLKLT ITQEGNKFTV KESSTFRNIE 
VVFELGVTFN YNLADGTELR GTWSLEGNKL IGKFKRTDNG NELNTVREII GDELVQTYVY 
EGVEAKRIFK KD