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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 15 days ago
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FABP12
fatty acid binding protein 12
Chromosome 8 · 8q21.13
NCBI Gene: 646486Ensembl: ENSG00000197416.6HGNC: HGNC:34524UniProt: A6NFH5
9PubMed Papers
20Diseases
0Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Transporter
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
fatty acid bindingnucleuscytosolfatty acid transportneurodegenerative diseasecervical carcinomabenign prostatic hyperplasiaposterior cortical atrophy
✦AI Summary

FABP12 (fatty acid-binding protein 12) is an intracellular lipid chaperone that binds and transports fatty acids and lipid-related molecules throughout cellular compartments including the cytosol, mitochondria, and nucleus 1. As a member of the FABP family, FABP12 shares the characteristic structural features of FABPs: a water-filled interior-binding pocket surrounded by ten anti-parallel beta sheets forming a beta barrel, with regulatory alpha-helices at the superior surface 1. FABP12 is preferentially expressed in mammalian retina and testis 2, and is expressed in rat and mouse retinas with altered patterns in disease states 3. In prostate cancer, FABP12 drives metastatic transformation through the PPARγ signaling pathway, simultaneously inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via Slug activation and enhancing lipid-derived energy production through increased fatty acid β-oxidation 4. FABP12 is preferentially amplified and overexpressed in metastatic compared to primary prostate tumors 4. The FABP12-Slug-Survivin axis mediates docetaxel chemoresistance by suppressing apoptosis and inhibiting programmed cell death, with high Survivin levels correlating to poor prognosis 5. Genomic analysis identified an FABP12 variant in familial trichoepithelioma patients, suggesting roles in hair follicle biology 6. A Mendelian randomization study revealed FABP12 has a protective causal relationship with anaphylactic shock from adverse drug reactions 7.

Sources cited
1
FABPs are intracellular lipid chaperones regulating metabolic pathways and gene expression in cancer
PMID: 40717587
2
FABP12 promotes prostate cancer metastasis through PPARγ activation, inducing EMT and lipid bioenergetics
PMID: 33031638
3
FABP12-Slug-Survivin pathway mediates docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer cells
PMID: 39273616
4
FABPs have conserved beta barrel structure and bind long-chain fatty acids and lipid ligands
PMID: 21504868
5
FABP12 variant identified in patients with familial trichoepithelioma
PMID: 30809827
6
FABP12 is expressed in mammalian retina and testis, arose from tandem gene duplication
PMID: 18786628
7
FABP12 has protective causal relationship with anaphylactic shock from adverse drug reactions
PMID: 40324257
8
FABP12 is expressed in rat and mouse retinas with altered patterns in retinal disease
PMID: 35820353
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.37Weak
cervical carcinomaOpen Targets
0.19Weak
benign prostatic hyperplasiaOpen Targets
0.16Weak
posterior cortical atrophyOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
device complicationOpen Targets
0.04Suggestive
prostate cancerOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
esophageal adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
cardiomyopathyOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
metastatic neoplasmOpen Targets
0.03Suggestive
anaphylaxisOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
glioblastoma multiformeOpen Targets
0.01Suggestive
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
retinoblastomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
age-related macular degenerationOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
diabetic retinopathyOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
prostate adenocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
retinopathyOpen Targets
0.00Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Related Genes
FABP4Shared pathway50%FABP6Shared pathway50%RBP7Shared pathway50%RBP5Shared pathway50%CRABP1Shared pathway50%FABP2Shared pathway40%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Bone Marrow
100%
Brain
0%
Ovary
0%
Heart
0%
Lung
0%
Liver
0%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
FABP12FABP4FABP6RBP7RBP5CRABP1FABP2
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
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AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt A6NFH5
View on AlphaFold ↗
RankingsWhere FABP12 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #17,324of 20,598
    Most Researched9
Genes detectedFABP12
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Fatty acid-binding proteins in cancers.
PMID: 40717587
Int J Surg · 2025
1.00
2
The FABP12/PPARγ pathway promotes metastatic transformation by inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and lipid-derived energy production in prostate cancer cells.
PMID: 33031638
Mol Oncol · 2020
0.90
3
Docetaxel-Induced Cell Death Is Regulated by a Fatty Acid-Binding Protein 12-Slug-Survivin Pathway in Prostate Cancer Cells.
PMID: 39273616
Int J Mol Sci · 2024
0.80
4
PMID: 40890473
0.70
5
The human fatty acid-binding protein family: evolutionary divergences and functions.
PMID: 21504868
Hum Genomics · 2011
0.60