The breadth of modern biology is characterized by a comprehension of phenomena at many levels of organization. Such levels of understanding range from the organismal to the molecular. It is when all these levels can be discussed together that a sense of true achievement begins to be felt. The topical area of fatty acid transport and metabolism was the focus of the Third International Conference on Lipid-Binding Proteins held at the University of Minnesota in May 1997. This volume contains a sampling of the proceedings of this meeting.

It is well established that cellular lipid binding proteins serve central roles in cellular lipid uptake and metabolism. Evidence has been presented that various metabolic diseases, such as hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and diabetes, are characterized by malfunctioning or deficiencies in cellular lipid binding proteins. For better understanding of the action of lipids as signaling compounds and the role of lipids in intermediary metabolism, it is essential to have detailed knowledge of the interactions between lipids and their cognant binding proteins. In view of this growing interest in lipid-protein interaction, the 4th International Conference on Lipid Binding Proteins was held in Maastricht, The Netherlands, in June 2001. The proceedings of the previous three meetings have been published in Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. The present focused issue of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry comprises selected papers based on the lectures and posters presented during the 4th conference, and provides insight into the significance of these proteins for the functioning of the cell.

Twenty years have elapsed since cytoplasmic proteins exhibiting high-affinity binding of long-chain fatty acids were first identified (Ockner et al., Science 177:56-58, 1972). These cellular fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs) are now well established to comprise a ligand-defined group of macromolecules belonging to a family of cytoplasmic lipid binding proteins. Unique features of the FABPs are the existence of distinct types of FABP and that these are found in a variety of tissues in remarkable abundance, with some cells expressing more than one type. The physiological significance of the FABPs has only partly been elucidated. By increasing the cytoplasmic solubilization of fatty acids, the cellular FABPs are considered to function primarily in intracellular fatty acid transport, but may also be assigned important regulatory roles in cellular lipid homeostasis as well as in the modulation of cell growth and differentiation. The broad interests in cellular FABPs has led to the organization of the 1st International Workshop on Fatty Acid-Binding Protein, held in Maastricht, the Netherlands, in 1989. Prompted by the success of the first meeting, the 2nd International Workshop on Fatty-Acid-Binding Proteins, which was held again in Maastricht, on August 31 and September 1, 1992, brought together scientific scpecialists in the field of FABP research for two days of intensive and fruitful discussion. This volume is a collection of selected papers from this conference, and thus provides the state-of-the-art knowledge of cellular FABPs. The contributors to this issue represent pioneering as well as new investigators, and also reflect the multidisciplinary nature of research in this exciting and rapidly progressing field.

This special issue of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry contains original research papers as well as invited reviews focused in the field of cardiac metabolism and its regulation under normal and disease conditions. These papers cover many areas under intensive and rapid development such as the regulation of fatty acid oxidation in the heart, the role of cardiac glycogen during ischemia, the role of CPT I isoenzymes, the pathophysiology of diabetic cardiomyopathy, cardiac protection through regulation of energy production, the role of fatty acid binding protein under normal and pathological conditions, and several other important topics in this area of research. We hope that this special issue of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry provides an up-to-date source of information for scientists and clinicians interested in the mechanism by which cardiac metabolism is regulated in health and disease and the mechanistic relationship between disturbances in cardiac metabolism and the genesis of cardiovascular diseases.

Biochemistry of Lipids: Lipoproteins and Membranes, Volume Six, contains concise chapters that cover a wide spectrum of topics in the field of lipid biochemistry and cell biology. It provides an important bridge between broad-based biochemistry textbooks and more technical research publications, offering cohesive, foundational information. It is a valuable tool for advanced graduate students and researchers who are interested in exploring lipid biology in more detail, and includes overviews of lipid biology in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, while also providing fundamental background on the subsequent descriptions of fatty acid synthesis, desaturation and elongation, and the pathways that lead the synthesis of complex phospholipids, sphingolipids, and their structural variants. Also covered are sections on how bioactive lipids are involved in cell signaling with an emphasis on disease implications and pathological consequences. Serves as a general reference book for scientists studying lipids, lipoproteins and membranes and as an advanced and up-to-date textbook for teachers and students who are familiar with the basic concepts of lipid biochemistry References from current literature will be included in each chapter to facilitate more in-depth study Key concepts are supported by figures and models to improve reader understanding Chapters provide historical perspective and current analysis of each topic