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Lipoprotein lipase was purified from guinea pig milk by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose followed by chromatography on an immobilized preparation of heparin that had been N-desulphated and then acetylated. This second step was necessary to separate a plasma protein, presumably antithrombin, from the lipase. The guinea pig enzyme turned out to be quite similar to lipoprotein lipase from bovine milk with respect to composition and molecular size. Furthermore, the specific activities and the dose-response relations for activation by apolipoprotein C-II were quite similar for the two enzymes. Antibodies raised against the guinea pig milk enzyme inhibited not only this enzyme but also the lipoprotein lipase activity in post-heparin plasma and in homogenates from adipose tissue and heart.

The group of C apolipoproteins are involved in the catabolism of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins, C-II activating triacyglycerol lipolysis and C-III possibly preventing premature removal of the particle. In normal subjects, C-II, C-III1 and C-III2 exchange between very low density (VLDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) at similar rates and catabolism appears to occur with HDL. In the present studies in one normal and in four subjects with moderate-to-severe hypertriglyceridemia, the metabolism of the C apolipoproteins was studied before and during maximal lipolysis induced with heparin. Radioiodinated triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins were injected and the specific activity-time curves for C-II, C-III1, C-III2 and B proteins were analyzed in triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins and HDL. Heparin infusion caused rapid and proportional transfer of each C apolipoprotein from triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins to HDL. In the two most hyperlipemic men, a substantial fraction (over 90%) of apolipoprotein C mass lost from triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins was not recoverable in HDL, whereas in the normal subject this was less than 15% and intermediate in the other two hypertriglyceridemic men. This indicates a new potential catabolic pathway for C apolipoproteins, direct loss from the circulation during remnant particle removal, which was also evident from B apolipoprotein studies. Furthermore, unlike in the normal subject transfer of C apolipoprotein radioactivity from triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins to HDL was greater than that of mass, also suggesting heterogeneity in C apolipoprotein catabolism. The studies show that C apolipoprotein metabolism may be disturbed in severely hypertriglyceridemic subjects: the lack of conservation of these proteins within HDL may exacerbate the degree of hyperlipoproteinemia.

125I-labeled high density lipoprotein (HDL) from control rats, or from rats made nephrotic by puromycin aminonucleoside, was injected into control or nephrotic rats. At 5 and 20 h, the amount and distribution of label remaining in apolipoproteins HDL, A-I, E, A-IV and the C apolipoproteins was measured after ultracentrifugal isolation of HDL and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic separation of each apolipoprotein. There were no significant differences in the removal rates of apolipoprotein HDL or of the individual apolipoproteins when the removal of HDL of controls was compared to HDL of nephrotics. HDL from nephrotic rats contains less than 10% of either the apolipoprotein A-IV or apolipoprotein E content of control HDL, indicating that neither apolipoprotein A-IV nor apolipoprotein E play a significant role in determining the catabolic fate of rat HDL. In severely nephrotic animals the apoliprotein C content of HDL was reduced to 50% of control values and the apolipoprotein A-I content of HDL rose to 87% of the total apolipoprotein. The individual apolipoproteins of HDL from either nephrotics or controls were catabolized at the same rates irrespective of the degrees of nephrosis or altered HDL apolipoprotein composition. The apparent fractional catabolic rates for apolipoprotein HDL and for each of the apolipoproteins, determined after 20 h, did not differ from one another, and all were reduced by half in the nephrotic rats compared to the normal controls. These results support the concept that HDL is catabolized as a particle mediated by apolipoprotein A-I recognition, and they reinforce earlier work indicating that increased synthesis is the dominant factor responsible for increased plasma HDL concentrations in experimental nephrosis.

We studied the interaction of apolipoproteins A-I, C, and HDL2 with phospholipid-stabilized, triacylglycerol-rich particles to learn more about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the metabolism of chylomicrons. Apolipoproteins A-I, C-I, C-III1 and C-III2 all bound to and destabilized triacylglycerol-rich particles, apparently by removing phospholipids from the particle surface. None of the apolipoprotein C tested, at any concentration, was, however, able to equal the disruptive effect of apolipoprotein A-I. The destabilizing effects of apolipoproteins A-I and C were not additive. Apolipoprotein C-III1 seemed to lessen the disruptive effect of apolipoprotein A-I by binding competitively to triacylglycerol-rich particles. Unexpectedly, previous binding of apolipoprotein A-I to triacylglycerol-rich particles nearly tripled the ability of these particles to bind apolipoprotein C. Destabilization of triacylglycerol-rich particles by apolipoprotein A-I was prevented by HDL2. The protective effect of HDL2 seemed to depend partly on transfer of unesterified cholesterol from HDL2, since the amounts of unesterified cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I bound to the particles surface showed a strong negative correlation.

Purified bovine milk lipoprotein lipase has been covalently attached to CH-Sepharose with water-soluble carbodiimide. The immobilized enzyme retained enzymic activity and was stimulated 7-fold by the addition of human apolipoprotein C-II. Both [3H]heparin and 125I-labeled apolipoprotein C-II bound to the immobilized enzyme; unlabeled heparin and apolipoprotein C-II competed for binding of their respective labeled compounds. Apolipoprotein C-II did not compete for binding of [3H]heparin and vice versa. Human apolipoprotein C-III did not bind to the immobilized enzyme nor did it compete for apolipoprotein C-II binding. We conclude from these studies that both apolipoprotein C-II and heparin interact with immobilized lipoprotein lipase and that they have different binding sites.

This study has investigated the kinetics of transfer of C apolipoproteins between the vascular and lymph compartments of the rat. Very-low-density lipoprotein, labeled with [125I]apolipoprotein C, was injected intravenously into lymph duct-cannulated rats and the redistribution of radioactivity between lymph and plasma followed at frequent intervals for 3 h. Equilibration between the two compartments was rapid (10-15 min), and thereafter removal from both compartments continued at similar rates. Specific radioactivity determinations showed that lymph C-III-0, C-III-3, and C-III-2,1 apolipoproteins rapidly reached values identical to those of corresponding plasma C apolipoproteins and the interrelationship between the curves were consistent with precursor-product relationships in which all, or most, of the product (lymph apolipoprotein C-III) was derived from the precursor (plasma). However, the specific radioactivity curves for C-II peptide did not cross; the lower value for lymph C-II apolipoprotein suggests that, unlike C-III apolipoproteins, a substantial proportion (approx. 40%) of lymph C-II peptide is not derived from the plasma compartment. The most likely source of the unlabeled lymph apolipoprotein C-II is synthesis and secretion from the intestine.

Small amounts of lipoprotein C and lipoprotein D could be observed in low density lipoproteins (1.030-1.055 g/ml), using electroimmunomigration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Lipoprotein structures containing several apolipoproteins such as lipoprotein (B+C) or (B+D) were not detected in these low density lipoproteins. Lipoproteins C and D could not be separated from lipoprotein B by using gel filtration and affinity chromatography on heparin-Sepharose. Apolipoproteins C-III and D measured by electroimmunoassay are 3.2 +/- 1.2% and 1.15 +/- 0.6%, respectively, of the proteins found in the density range 1.030-1.055 g/ml, so there is, therefore, about 1 mol of apolipoprotein C-III and 0.1 mol of apolipoprotein D per mol of apolipoprotein B.

The effect of phospholipid organization on the lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine was examined with sonicated vesicles and Triton X-100 or lysomyristoylphosphatidylcholine solubilized lipid. Triton X-100-dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine substrates were prepared at various ratios of detergent to phospholipid so as to produce lipid structures varying from bilayers to micelles. Apolipoprotein C-II, the activator protein for lipoprotein lipase, enhanced the rate of the lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine for each substrate tested. Although the absolute rate of lipoprotein lipase catalysis was different for each, the factor (the ratio of lipoprotein lipase activity with apolipoprotein C-II to that without the activator protein) was nearly constant, with a value of approximately 16. We conclude that the enhancement of lipoprotein lipase activity by apolipoprotein C-II is independent of the physical form of the phospholipid substrate.

Lipoprotein lipase is bound to heparin-like molecules at the surface of capillary endothelial cells. For maximal activity, the enzyme requires apolipoprotein C-II, a protein constituent of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins. In this report, the interactions of apolipoprotein C-II, heparin and sonicated vesicles of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine with purified bovine milk lipoprotein lipase were studied by gel filtration on Bio-Gel A5m. In the presence of vesicles of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (1 mg), lipoprotein lipase (25 micrograms) associated with phospholipids even in the absence of apolipoprotein C-II. With limited phospholipid (40 micrograms), the amount of enzyme which associated with lipid decreased in the presence of apolipoprotein C-II (20 micrograms). Human plasma apolipoprotein C-III, another protein constituent of triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins, also caused a decrease in the amount of enzyme associated with phospholipid. These results suggest that apolipoprotein C-II does not increase the activity of the enzyme by facilitating its interaction with a lipid interface. In the absence of lipid, lipoprotein lipase and apolipoprotein C-II (molar ratio, 1 : 1) eluted from Bio-Gel A5m as two separate components. The interaction of heparin with lipoprotein lipase was studied using a specific [3H]heparin, which was isolated by affinity chromatography on immobilized lipoprotein lipase; the [3H]heparin eluted with 0.6 M NaCl. Specific [3H]heparin coeluted with lipoprotein lipase when the enzyme was associated with phospholipid; the [3H]heparin was released from the enzyme by 0.75 M NaCl.

Kinetic studies were performed incubating lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triacylglycerol lipase from human postheparin plasma with triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins from two patients with apolipoprotein C-II deficiency. These lipoproteins differed in their lipid and apolipoprotein composition from normal very-low-density lipoproteins and chylomicrons. The addition of isolated apolipoprotein C-II and normal or apolipoprotein C-II-deficient high-density lipoproteins caused an increase of Vmax and a decrease of the Km for lipoprotein lipase-induced hydrolysis. Hepatic triacylglycerol lipase activity was not influenced by the presence of apolipoprotein C-II in the incubation medium, but was inhibited by increasing amounts of high-density lipoproteins. Binding studies were performed in order to analyze the interactions between lipolytic enzymes, apolipoprotein C-II, and triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins. Apolipoprotein C-II was, as expected, rapidly taken up by apolipoprotein C-II-deficient very-low-density lipoproteins and chylomicrons when they were incubated with normal high-density lipoproteins or with the purified apolipoprotein. This uptake was inhibited by the addition of increasing amounts of lipoprotein lipase in conditions in which no lipolysis could occur. Binding of lipoprotein lipase to apolipoprotein C-II-deficient very-low-density lipoproteins or chylomicrons was not affected by the addition of apolipoprotein C-II when an excess of triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein was present. The stability of lipoprotein lipase was also studied. Apolipoprotein C-II and high-density lipoproteins were unable to prolong the half-life of the enzyme activity, while triacylglycerol-rich particles effectively stabilized lipoprotein lipase. We conclude that binding of lipoprotein lipase to the substrate surface is not affected by apolipoprotein C-II. It is more likely that the peptide catalyzes the conversion of lipoprotein lipase from a less to a more active form.

An electroimmunoassay procedure is described for the quantitative determination of human plasma apolipoprotein C-III. Purified apolipoprotein C-III was used for the preparation of monospecific antisera and as the primary standard. This sensitive, specific, rapid (time required for the completion of the assay is 5 h), precise (the within and between-assay coefficients of variation are 6 and 8%, respectively) and accurate electroimmunoassay is applicable to measurement of C-III polypeptide in whole serum and density classes. However, plasma samples containing lipoproteins with Sf less than 400 and/or triacylglycerol levels greater than 700 mg/100 ml must be delipidized. Plasma apolipoprotein C-III levels of normolipidemic subjects and hypercholesterolemic (type IIa) patients were similar (10.4 +/- 3 and 12.0 +/- 6 mg/100 ml, respectively). In contrast, patients with hyperlipoproteinemic phenotypes IIb, III, IV and V had significantly increased levels of apolipoprotein C-III (22 +/- 7; 23 +/- 6, and 54 +/- 12, respectively). The levels of apo C-III in patients with type V were significantly higher (P less than 0.001) than in normal or other hyperlipoproteinemic phenotypes.

Complexes were made between L-alpha-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and four of the seven bovine apolipoproteins C described in the preceding paper (Patterson, B.W. and Jonas, A. (1980) Biochim. Biophys, Acta 619, 572-586). Reaction mixtures were fractionated by gel filtration chromatography and isopycnic density gradient ultracentrifugation. Selected complexes were further analyzed by sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation and examined for phospholipid bilayer phase transition properties as reported by the fluorescence polarization of a lipophilic probe. Two bovine apolipoproteins C (D2, D3) were able to form complexes with DMPC of virtually the same size, stoichiometry, and density over a wide range of initial lipid/protein molar ratios (200 : 1 to 10 : 1). At very high initial molar ratios (200 : 1 and 100: 1), an additional lipid-enriched complex was formed with these apolipoproteins. Complexes made with D4 were less discrete, having a size, stoichiometry, and density dependent on the initial lipid : protein ratios used. Isolated complexes were smaller than intact DMPC vesicles, representing a break-down product of vesicular structure. The sizes (molecular weights around 2-3 x 10(5)), hydrated densities (1.06-1.12 g/ml), and weight percentage protein compositions (30-40%) of bovine C apolipoprotein-DMPC complexes are comparable to the corresponding parameters for intact bovine HDL. Isolated bovine C apolipoprotein-DMPC complexes retain some phospholipid bilayer structure as indicated by their phase transition behavior. However, the phase transition is considerably broadened and shifted to a higher temperature in the complexes compared to pure lipid. The results obtained are comparable to the phospholipid binding properties of human C apolipoproteins and are consistent with various oblate ellipsoidal models suggested for apolipoprotein-DMPC complexes.

The relation between pH and activity for lipoprotein lipase against emulsions of long-chain triacylglycerols has previously been studied in several laboratories and found to be a bell-shaped curve with optimum activity between pH 8 and 9. In contrast, using short-chain triacylglycerols or monoacylglycerols as substrates we had found that the activity rises continuously with pH to at least pH 10.5. This suggested that some factor other than the active site mechanism limited the activity at high pH in traditional assay systems. We, therefore, reinvestigated the activity against long-chain triacylglycerols under conditions where binding of the enzyme to the emulsion droplets and enzyme stability was not limiting. Under these conditions the activity continued to rise from pH 8 to pH 10, and the degree of stimulation by apolipoprotein C-II was found to be the same over the whole range studied (pH 6.5-10.5).

Apolipoprotein C-II, which activates lipoprotein lipase, was isolated from normal subjects and purified to homogeneity by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). The partially purified product from DEAE-cellulose chromatography was eluted from a Radial Pak C18 cartridge in a radial compression module using a linear gradient of 0.01 M ammonium bicarbonate and acetonitrile. The final product was homogeneous by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (pH 8.9), isoelectric focusing (pH 2.5-6.5), Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion, analytical HPLC and amino acid analysis. The purification of apolipoprotein C-II from normal subjects will permit the elucidation of its amino acid sequence and subsequent comparison with the known sequence of apolipoprotein C-II isolated from patients with hyperlipoproteinemia.

The lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of triacylglycerol was determined in a lipid monolayer containing egg phosphatidylcholine and tri[14C]oleoylglycerol. In the presence of purified bovine milk lipoprotein lipase and fatty acid-free albumin, the rate of hydrolysis of tri[14C]oleoylglycerol, as determined by the decrease in surface activity, was dependent upon enzyme concentration and was enhanced by the addition of apolipoprotein C-II, the activator protein for the enzyme. Increasing the triacylglycerol content of the phospholipid monolayer from 1 to 6 mol% (relative to phospholipid) enhanced the rate of catalysis in the presence and absence of apolipoprotein C-II. However, at low substrate concentrations (less than 4 mol% tri[14C]oleoylglycerol), the activation factor for apolipoprotein C-II was greater than at high (4-6 mol%) triacylglycerol concentrations. The addition of sphingomyelin to the phosphatidylcholine monolayer decreased lipoprotein lipase activity. Based on these monolayer studies, we conclude that lipoprotein lipase catalyzes the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol at a phospholipid interface and that the rate of catalysis is dependent on the lipid composition of the monolayer.

The catalytic mechanism of triacylglycerol hydrolysis by lipoprotein lipase was studied. We found lipoprotein lipase to be inhibited by benzene boronic acid, with an apparent Ki of 8.9 micro M at pH 7.4. This indicates the presence of serine and histidine in the active site of the enzyme. Inhibition of lipoprotein lipase by benzene boronic acid is likely to be due to the formation of an inhibitor-enzyme complex having analogous bonding to the active site histidine and serine as the transition-state complex which precedes the formation of an obligatory acyl-enzyme intermediate. The presence of apolipoprotein C-II, the apolipoprotein activator of lipoprotein lipase, partly reverses the inhibition of lipoprotein lipase by benzene boronic acid. This reversal by apolipoprotein C-II has a distinct pH optimum in the range of 8-9.

The immunoreactivity of human plasma apolipoprotein C-II was investigated using a specific radioimmunoassay. In whole plasma, the mean value quantitated was 2.21 +/- 0.415 mg/dl, while in delipidated plasma, a mean value of 3.84 +/- 1.186 mg/dl was obtained, suggesting that the antigenic sites of the apolipoprotein were not fully detected in unmodified plasma by our antibody preparation. Two detergents, Tween-20 and Triton X-100, were studied to determine if they could enhance the immunoreactivity of apolipoprotein C-II in whole plasma. At concentrations of 0.012-0.06%, Tween-20 markedly increased the immunoreactivity of whole plasma, but not of delipidated plasma, indicating that antigenic sites of plasma apolipoprotein C-II has been exposed by Tween-20. In contrast, Triton X-100 had no effect on the immunoreactivity of whole plasma apolipoprotein C-II. A radioimmunoassay conducted in the presence of 0.06% Tween-20, resulted in a mean value in whole plasma (3.39 +/- 1.11 mg/dl) that was not significantly different from that obtained when the assay was done on delipidated samples. The immunoreactivity of VLDL apolipoprotein C-II was also drastically enhanced following lipolysis by bovine milk lipoprotein lipase, supporting the hypothesis that antigenic sites are masked by the lipids. Finally, the mechanism responsible for the effect of Tween-20 on apolipoprotein C-II immunoreactivity was investigated. The results obtained from circular dichroism and ultracentrifugation suggest that the detergent may dissociate the apolipoprotein from lipoprotein particles, thus fully exposing the antigenic sites for reaction with antibodies.

The effect of lipid composition and structure on the lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of triacylglycerols was determined in a monolayer system consisting of purified bovine milk lipoprotein lipase and fatty acid-free albumin. In a monolayer of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine containing 1-6 mol% of either tri[14C]oleoylglycerol or tri[14C] palmitoylglycerol , lipoprotein lipase catalyzed the hydrolysis of the unsaturated triacylglycerol at a higher rate than the saturated lipid and in either the presence or absence of apolipoprotein C-II, the activator protein for the enzyme. For example, with 3 mol% triacylglycerol and in the presence of apolipoprotein C-II, the rate of the lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of tri[14C]oleoylglycerol was 27 mumol oleic acid produced/h per mg enzyme vs. 12 mumol for tri[14C] palmitoylglycerol . The effect of phospholipid fatty acyl chain length and unsaturation/saturation, polar head group and surface density on the lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of tri[14C]oleoylglycerol was determined. The rate of enzyme hydrolysis of triacylglycerol was similar whether the phospholipid was a diester or diether lipid or the polar head group was ethanolamine or choline. In general, phospholipids with shorter and unsaturated fatty acyl chains gave higher rates of lipoprotein lipase hydrolysis of triacylglycerol than the corresponding longer and saturated lipids. However, with all phospholipids tested, the rate of enzyme hydrolysis decreased with increasing surface density. Lipoprotein lipase showed no activity toward triacylglycerol in a monolayer of sphingomyelin; addition of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine to the monolayer enhanced the rate of enzyme catalysis. Cholesterol (50 mol%) in a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine monolayer increased the rate of the lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of tri[14C]oleoylglycerol, whereas cholesterol decreased the rate in a dioleoylphosphatidylcholine monolayer. The effect of phospholipid structure and surface density on lipoprotein lipase activity could not be accounted for by the amount of apolipoprotein C-II which was present at the interface. Based on these findings and other reports in the literature, we suggest that the catalytic activity of lipoprotein lipase toward tri[14C] oleylglycerol in various monolayers is dependent on the conformation or appropriate physical state of the triacylglycerol substrate at the lipid interface.

The growth-promoting activity of human high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and of their apolipoprotein components on bovine vascular endothelial cells in vitro has been compared. When maintained on plastic culture dishes and exposed to medium containing lipoprotein-deficient serum and fibroblast growth factor, these cells do not proliferate. Addition of either HDL or the total HDL apolipoproteins induces significant cell proliferation. Apolipoprotein C1, purified by chromatography on the ion-exchanger resin Polybuffer exchanger 94, has an effect on the cell growth similar to that of the total apolipoproteins of HDL.

Rat plasma VLDL was incubated with lysoPC/PC micelles consisting of 45-90 mol% lysoPC at micelle/VLDL phospholipid ratios of 0.33-6. Following incubation, the VLDL and micellar particles were reisolated by ultracentrifugation and the lipid and apolipoprotein composition determined by high-temperature gas chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. Lysophosphatidylcholine was found to equilibrate between the very-low-density lipoproteins and micellar fraction without transfer of phosphatidylcholine or sphingomyelin between these fractions. This produced reisolated VLDL and micellar particles with nearly identical lysoPC/PC ratios. Only apolipoprotein E transferred to reisolated micellar fractions with less than 35 mol% lysoPC. The C apolipoproteins were also transferred to the micellar fraction when the reisolated micelles contained more than 35 mol% lysoPC. It is concluded that apolipoproteins E and C can bind to HDL-size micellar particles of appropriate composition. The differential transfer of apolipoproteins E and C indicates that fundamental differences exist between these apolipoproteins in their interaction with lipid interfaces.

Seven low-molecular weight proteins of the C class of apolipoproteins have been isolated from bovine serum high density lipoprotein. Amino acid analysis has shown five of these to be equivalent to the apolipoproteins previously described (Lim, C.T. and Scanu, A.M. (1976) Artery 2, 483-496). A spectroscopic examination of these proteins in the presence of increasing amounts of L-alpha-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine single-bilayer vesicles indicates that all bovine apolipoproteins C exhibit changes in secondary and tertiary structure as shown by intrinsic fluorescence intensity, wavelength, and polarization changes, and increases in alpha-helical content as seen by circular dichroism. Evidence is presented to show that bovine apolipoproteins C, like all human apolipoproteins of the A and C classes, can cause phospholipid multilamellar liposomes to disrupt and/or rearrange into a smaller complex which scatters less light. This paper details the screening of the bovine apolipoproteins for their phospholipid binding properties, whereas the following paper will examine the nature of their complexes with phospholipid in more detail. Together, these papers represent the first investigation of protein-lipid interactions involving any nonhuman apolipoproteins C.

Among 256 consecutive subjects so far studied in our laboratory, we found one subject (a 63-year-old female) whose very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) contained unusually high amounts of apolipoprotein C-III-O among apolipoprotein C-III polymorphic forms. Identification of apolipoprotein C-III-O was achieved by a combination of basic polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing and sialidase treatment of plasma apolipoproteins. This unusual lipoprotein was inherited by two of her four children without the manifestation of clinical symptoms. Triacylglycerols and cholesterol concentrations of VLDL, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and HDL fractions, and serum apolipoprotein C-III levels of the three subjects with apolipoprotein C-III-O were within the normal range, as estimated by rocket immunoelectrophoresis. Our results clearly demonstrated that the unusual lipoproteins with the preponderance of apolipoprotein C-III-O among apolipoprotein C-III polymorphic forms were genetically determined. These cases may be a new type of genetic lipoprotein disorder.

Rat apolipoproteins C-II, C-III-0 and C-III-3 give similar surface pressure (pi)-molecular area isotherms when spread at the air/water interface. When allowed to adsorb to the clean air/water interface, the intrinsic surface activity of apolipoprotein C-II is somewhat higher than that of apolipoprotein C-III. All three apolipoprotein C molecules can penetrate an egg phosphatidylcholine monolayer spread at the air/water interface causing an increase (delta pi) in surface pressure. Increasing the initial surface pressure (pi i) of the lipid monolayer decreases delta pi, and delta pi = 0 when pi i greater than or equal to 32 +/- 2 mN . m-1 for all three apolipoprotein C proteins. This implies that apolipoproteins C-II, C-III-0 and C-III-3 would adsorb and desorb similarly from the surfaces of lipoprotein particles during metabolism.

Apolipoprotein C-II, the activator protein of lipoprotein lipase, contains 78 amino acids with a single residue of arginine at position 49. Chemical modification of apolipoprotein C-II with 1,2-cyclohexanedione or 2,3-butanedione results in a loss of both the arginine residue and the ability of the protein to enhance the activity of bovine milk lipoprotein lipase toward a trioleoylglycerol substrate; removal of the modifying group restores arginine and more than 70% of the activating property of the apolipoprotein. Arginine modification of apolipoprotein C-II does not effect its lipid-binding properties as assessed by its association to sonicated vesicles of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine. Furthermore, secondary structure associated with complex formation with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine are nearly identical for the unmodified, 1,2-cyclohexanedione-modified or modified-reversed proteins. These results suggest that arginine-49 of apolipoprotein C-II is situated at or near an amino acid sequence domain involved in the activation of lipoprotein lipase. However, a guanidinium group is not required for lipid binding.

Alcoholic hepatitis leads to major derangements in lipoprotein metabolism. This study defines the characteristics of the abnormal high density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein in relation to the severity of the disease. In severely affected subjects very low density lipoprotein apolipoproteins were deficient in apolipoprotein E and apolipoprotein C. The concentration of high density lipoprotein was markedly reduced, although the proportion of high density lipoprotein 1 was substantially elevated when compared to normal subjects. High density lipoproteins were deficient in apolipoprotein AI and apolipoprotein AII but enriched in apolipoprotein E, apolipoprotein E complexes and apolipoprotein C, and contained a mixture of particles. The high density lipoprotein of subjects with alcoholic hepatitis contained a high proportion of material which bound to heparin affinity columns. This bound fraction contained a group of particles rich in apolipoprotein E, apolipoprotein E complexes and apolipoprotein C and was deficient in apolipoprotein AI and apolipoprotein AII. Examination by electron microscopy showed the presence of both discoidal and spherical particles, which varied in concentration according to the severity of the disease. Another fraction of high density lipoprotein, not bound to heparin, contained reduced amounts of apolipoprotein AI and apolipoprotein AII, consisted of disc-shaped particles and showed a higher esterified: free cholesterol ratio than the other high density lipoprotein fraction.