Over the two last decades, cloning of proteins responsible for trafficking and metabolic fate of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) in gut has provided new insights on cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in fat absorption. To this systematic cloning period, functional genomics has succeeded in providing a new set of surprises. Disruption of several genes, thought to play a crucial role in LCFA absorption, did not lead to clear phenotypes. This observation raises the question of the real physiological role of lipid-binding proteins and lipid-metabolizing enzymes expressed in enterocytes. The goal of this review is to analyze present knowledge concerning the main steps of intestinal fat absorption from LCFA uptake to lipoprotein release and to assess their impact on health.

在过去的二十年中，负责肠道中长链脂肪酸（LCFA）的运输和代谢命运的蛋白质的克隆为涉及脂肪吸收的细胞和分子机制提供了新见解。在这个系统的克隆时期，功能基因组学成功地提供了新的惊喜。认为在LCFA吸收中起关键作用的几个基因的破坏并没有导致明确的表型。该观察提出了在肠细胞中表达的脂质结合蛋白和脂质代谢酶的真正生理作用的问题。这篇综述的目的是分析有关从LCFA摄取到脂蛋白释放的肠道脂肪吸收的主要步骤的现有知识，并评估其对健康的影响。