Cholesterol is a determinant of the structures of discoidal high density lipoproteins formed by the solubilization of phospholipid membranes by apolipoprotein A-I

John B. Massey, Henry J. Pownall

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

51 Scopus citations

Abstract

Formation of discoidal high density lipoproteins (rHDL) by apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) mediated solubilization of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) multilamellar vesicles (MLV) was dramatically affected by bilayer cholesterol concentration. At a low ratio of DMPC/apoA-I (2 mg DMPC/mg apoA-I, 84/1 mol/mol), sterols (cholesterol, lathosterol, and β-sitosterol) that form ordered lipid phases increase the rate of solubilization similarly, yielding rHDL with similar structures. By changing the temperature and sterol concentration, the rates of solubilization varied almost 3 orders of magnitude; however, the sizes of the rHDL were independent of the rate of their formation and dependent upon the bilayer sterol concentration. At a high ratio of DMPC/apoA-I (10/1 mg DMPC/mg apoA-I, 420/1 mol/mol), changing the temperature and cholesterol concentration yielded rHDL that varied greatly in size, phospholipid/protein ratio, mol% cholesterol, and number of apoA-I molecules per particle. rHDL were isolated that had 2, 4, 6, and 8 molecules of apoA-I per particle, mean diameters of 117, 200, 303, and 396 Å, and a mol% cholesterol that was similar to the original MLV. Kinetic studies demonstrated that the different sized rHDL are formed independently and concurrently. The rate of formation, lipid composition, and three-dimensional structures of cholesterol-rich rHDL is dictated primarily by the original membrane phase properties and cholesterol content. The size speciation of rHDL and probably nascent HDL formed via the activity of the ABCA1 lipid transporter is mechanistically linked to the cholesterol content of the membranes from which they were formed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)245-253
Number of pages9
JournalBiochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids
Volume1781
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2008

Keywords

  • apoA-I
  • Cholesterol
  • High density lipoprotein
  • Microsolubilization
  • Phosphatidylcholine
  • Reverse cholesterol transport

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biophysics

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