Table 1.
| Original nomenclature | Genetic nomenclature | Ligands | Tissue distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retinol-binding protein (RBP) | RBP4 | Retinol | Serum/plasma |
| Cellular retinol-binding protein I (CRBPI) | RBP1 | Retinol and retinaldehyde | Most tissues |
| Cellular retinol-binding protein II (CRBPII) | RBP2 | Retinol and retinaldehyde | Small intestine |
| Cellular retinol-binding protein IV (CRBPIV) | RBP5 | Retinol and retinaldehyde | Liver, kidney, spleen |
| Cellular retinol-binding protein III (CRBPIII) | RBP7 | Retinol& retinaldehyde | Adipose and muscle |
| Interphotoreceptor retinol-binding protein (IRBP) | RBP3 | Retinol and retinaldehyde and other lipids | Eye, retina retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) |
| Cellular retinaldehyde-Binding protein (CRALBP) | RLBP1 | 11-cis-retinol and 11-cis-retinaldehyde | Retina, RPE |
| Cellular retinoic acid-binding protein I (CRABPI) | CRABP1 | Retinoic acid | Many tissues |
| Cellular retinoic acid-binding protein II (CRABPII) | CRABP2 | Retinoic acid | Skin, adipose, others |
| Fatty acid-binding protein 5 (FABP5) | FABP5 | Fatty acids and retinoic acid | Adipose, liver, others |
a
A listing of retinoid-binding proteins that are canonically accepted to be importantly involved in facilitating retinoid metabolism and/or actions.
b
RBP1, RBP2, RBP5, RBP7, CRABP1, CRABP2, and FABP5 are all fatty acid-binding proteins. These along with RBP4 are member of the lipocalin superfamily.