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Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the low density lipoprotein (LDL)-receptor gene. We found a new mutation in the splice acceptor site of intron 1 of the LDL receptor gene, which is designated as 68-1 GC according to the nomenclature suggested by Beaudet and Tsui (1993), in a Japanese FH homozygote. She was born from consanguineous marriage and has this mutation as a true homozygous form. Her cultured fibroblasts showed no LDL receptor protein synthesis. This mutation caused activation of a cryptic splice acceptor site in the downstream exon 2, leading to frameshift and appearance of premature in-frame stop codon. The mutation was detected by Dde I restriction enzyme. The identical mutation was not found among 24 patients with homozygous and 120 patients with heterozygous FH. The mutation was very rare among the Japanese population. Hum Mutat 11:480–481, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Interaction of human apolipoprotein A-II (apoA-II) with egg yolk phosphatidylcholine unilamellar vesicles (diameter, 20-26 nm) was studied. ApoA-II bound to the vesicles in a saturable manner and was displaced by apolipoprotein C-III1 (apoC-III1) while bound apoC-III1 was displaced by apoA-II, with apparent deformation of the vesicles, as observed in electronmicrographs. Free apoA-II that had been displaced from the lipid surface was readsorbed to vesicles successively added to the medium. Disruption of the vesicular structure occurred in less than 3% of the vesicles under the experimental conditions. Isothermal binding data were analyzed according to a reversible equilibrium binding model. The dissociation constant, Kd, was 5.8 X 10(-7) M, and the maximum binding level, N, was 1.46 amino acid residues per phospholipid for apoA-II assuming that 70% of the phospholipid is in the outer leaflet of the vesicles, while for apoC-III1 the Kd and N values were 7.8 X 10(-7) M and 1.34 amino acid residues per phospholipid in the outer leaflet, respectively. All these parameters show good agreement with those for triglyceride-phospholipid particles of approximately the same diameter as that of the vesicles (J. Biol. Chem. (1983) 258, 10073-10082). Thus the parameters represent the equilibrium binding of apoA-II to the surface of phosphatidylcholine unilamellar vesicles.

The primary structure of the membrane-binding segment of rabbit cytochrome b5 has been determined. This segment, prepared by trypsin digestion of the intact protein, consists of 43 amino acid residues and corresponds to the COOH-terminal end (residues 91-133) of the parent molecule. Deduction of the primary structure was based on automated sequence analysis of the whole segment as well as manual and dansyl-Edman degradations of peptide fragments produced by CNBr cleavage and partial acid hydrolysis. The sequence obtained is: Leu-Ser-Lys-Pro-Met-Glu-Thr-Leu-Ile-Thr-Thr-Val-Asn-Ser-Asn-Ser-Ser-Trp-Trp-Thr-Asn-Trp-Val-Ile-Pro-Ala-Ile-Ser-Ala-Leu-Ile-Val-Ala-Leu-Met-Tyr-Arg-Leu-Tyr-Met-Ala-Asp-Asp. This sequence is 63 to 81% homologous with respect to those determined for the membrane-binding segments of equine, porcine and bovine cytochrome b5. The interaction of this segment with phospholipid bilayer membranes is discussed, and a prediction of its secondary structure is also presented.

Summary The effect of apolipoprotein A-I and A-II on hepatic triglyceride lipase activity was studied. Purification of apolipoprotein A-I and A-II was carried out by gel filtration with Sephadex G-200 in 6 M urea. Hepatic triglyceride lipase was purified from human postheparin plasma by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. We demonstrated that both apolipoprotein A-I and A-II substantially inhibited hepatic triglyceride lipase. It suggests that these apolipoproteins play an important role in the inhibition of hepatic triglyceride lipase activity by whole serum.

THP-1 cells, a human cell line established from acute monocytic leukemia cells, degraded native human low density lipoprotein (LDL) through a LDL-specific pathway, but had no ability to degrade acetylated LDL. When the cells were treated with 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to differentiate into the macrophage-like stage, those acquired the ability to degrade acetylated LDL through its specific pathway and lost the ability to degrade native LDL. Degradation of acetylated LDL by the differentiated cells was not reduced by preincubation with either acetylated LDL or native LDL.

The behavior of human apolipoprotein C-II (apoC-II; molecular weight, 8,837) has been studied in an aqueous solution by using gel permeation chromatography, sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation, and circular dichroic (CD) spectroscopy. The elution volume of apoC-II was equivalent to that of standard proteins with molecular weights of 30,000 and 17,800 by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on TSK-Gel G3000SW and by gel permeation chromatography on Sephadex G-75, respectively. Sedimentation equilibrium experiments in a table-top high-speed air turbine centrifuge and in an analytical ultracentrifuge showed values of 9,400 and 7,900, respectively, for the molecular weight of apoC-II in the absence of any denaturants or surfactants. The CD spectrum of apoC-II in the far-ultraviolet region indicated that it had a highly disordered structure. These results showed that the apoC-II molecule, when in dilute solution, is dominantly monomeric with an extended and loosely folded structure. The concentration dependence of the ellipticities at 220 nm and of the molecular weight in the sedimentation equilibrium experiment suggests that apoC-II self-associates weakly in an aqueous solution. The disordered state of apoC-II was highly stable. However, helical conformation was induced by sodium dodecylsulfate, trifluoroethanol, and phosphatidylcholine vesicles.

Triolein particles stabilized by a phosphatidylcholine monolayer were used to study the lipoprotein lipase (LpL) reaction. They were prepared in two different sizes and with triolein and phosphatidylcholine in the molar ratios of 0.9-1.2 : 1 (small particles) and 8-17 : 1 (large particles). The rate of hydrolysis by LpL of phosphatidylcholine on the surface of both lipid particles was only 1/20 as much as that of triolein, even if it was activated to the maximum by apolipoprotein C-II (apoC-II). Thus, the phospholipase activity of LpL was low enough to measure the initial rate of hydrolysis of triolein without causing a gross change of the surface of the lipid particle. When the hydrolysis of triolein by LpL was monitored, fatty acid was released at a constant rate until all of the triolein molecules were hydrolyzed. The enzyme required 220 +/- 17 and 66 +/- 9 nM apoC-II for its half-maximal activity (Km (apoC-II] with small and large particles as a substrate (1.15 mM triolein for small and 2.13 mM triolein for large particles), respectively, using various concentrations of LpL. The Km(apoC-II) values for these two substrates became similar when LpL activity was analyzed with respect to the density of apoC-II on the phosphatidylcholine monolayer at the surface of the particles (bound apoC-II/phosphatidylcholine). The concentration of substrate particles did not affect the Km(apoC-II) values. The presence of an adequate amount of apoC-II increased the maximal activity of LpL (Vmax(triolein)) from 0.48 +/- 0.21 to 6.81 +/- 0.45 and from 0.32 +/- 0.04 to 7.13 +/- 0.64 mmol/h/mg with a slight decrease in the apparent Michaelis constant (Km(triolein)) for small (from 90 to 54 microM triolein) and large (from 1.00 to 0.65 mM triolein) particles, respectively. Although the apparent Km for triolein in large particles was about ten times greater than that in small particles, the values became similar when they were corrected for the concentration of phosphatidylcholine (50-100 microM phosphatidylcholine), which corresponded to the surface area of the substrate particles. It was suggested that bound apoC-II molecules were transferred relatively slowly to other lipid particles while LpL molecules moved rapidly among the lipid particles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Hepatic microsomal cytochrome b5 is an amphipathic protein consisting of a hydrophilic (heme-containing) moiety and a Hydrophobic (membrane-binding) segment and exists in aqueous media as a micelle. Circular dichroism studies indicated that denaturation of cytochrome b5 by guanidine hydrochloride is a two-stage process, the first transition occurring at the denaturant concentration of about 2.6 m and the second one at 5.0–5.5 m . A hydrophilic fragment of the cytochrome lacking the hydrophobic segment, on the other hand, underwent one-stage denaturation at a guanidine hydrochloride concentration of about 2.9 m . Detachment of the heme from the cytochrome and the fragment, measured by optical absorption, was effected at the denaturant concentrations of 2.6 and 2.9 m , respectively. Gel chromatography experiments showed that dissociation of the cytochrome micelle into the monomers took place concomitant with the second stage of denaturation. It is suggested that the two moieties of the cytochrome molecule exist as relatively independent domains undergoing unfolding separately and the hydrophobic domain is much more resistant to denaturation. It was further found that removal of the heme from the cytochrome by acid-acetone treatment rendered the hydrophilic domain unstable but did not affect the structure of the hydrophobic domain.

The human monocyte-like cell line, THP-1, differentiated into macrophage-like cells on the addition of a phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate. During the course of differentiation of THP-1 cells, the level of transcripts of the apolipoprotein E gene increased. Apolipoprotein E mRNA increased by more than a hundred times compared to the level prior to differentiation. The apolipoprotein E mRNA reached the maximal level on day 2 after the addition of the phorbol ester and then gradually decreased. After the level had decreased to half the maximal value on day 4 it remained constant. The time course of apolipoprotein E secretion, which showed a peak on day 2, was parallel to that of apolipoprotein E protein synthesis. Furthermore, the time course of apolipoprotein E protein synthesis showed a similar profile to that of the apolipoprotein E transcript level. This indicates that the induction of apolipoprotein E expression by the phorbol ester is due mainly to the increase in the number of transcripts. The synthesis of apolipoprotein E protein was reduced by about 60% on treatment of the differentiated THP-1 cells with 5 micrograms/ml of lipopolysaccharide. The presence of 5 micrograms/ml of lipopolysaccharide in the medium reduced the level of apolipoprotein E mRNA by about 50%. Thus the reduction in protein synthesis was mainly explained by the decrease in the level of apolipoprotein E transcripts. This reduction in the mRNA level caused by lipopolysaccharide was not mediated by the tumor necrosis factor or interleukin 1, which are known to reduce the transcriptional and post-transcriptional activity of lipoprotein lipase in adipocytes, respectively.

Human plasma apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) has been studied in an aqueous solution by the techniques of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), circular dichroic spectroscopy, and sedimentation equilibrium ultracentrifugation. The results indicate that an oligomer is formed as an intermediate step of dissolving lysophilized apoA-I. The process of further dissolution of this oligomer is an irreversible, temperature-dependent dissociation. The half-life of this intermediate oligomer is 3 min at 37 degrees C and 80 h at 30 degrees C. The completely dissolved apoA-I in an aqueous buffer self-associates with conformational alteration. The self-association equilibrium is too rapid to be demonstrated by HPLC.

A human cell line established from a patient of an acute monocytic leukemia (THP-1) retained an ability to synthesize and secrete plasma apolipoprotein E like protein. The protein was identified with monospecific antibody raised against human plasma apolipoprotein E. The cells also secreted lipoprotein lipase (EC 3.1.1.34). The enzyme was characterized as lipoprotein lipase on the basis of the requirement of apolipoprotein C-II as an activator and the inhibition of its activity by sodium chloride. The secretion of both apolipoprotein E and lipoprotein lipase was markedly enhanced in the process of differentiation into macrophage-like cells by the addition of 4 beta-phorbol 12 beta-myristate 13 alpha-acetate.

The mouse apolipoprotein E gene was isolated from a genomic library by screening with a cDNA probe. DNA including apolipoprotein E gene plus segments 2.5 kilobases upstream and 0.3 kilobase downstream of the coding region was transfected into NIH3T3 cells. The cells expressed the same-size apolipoprotein E mRNA and protein as those produced by mouse endogenously. The nucleotide sequence of the gene plus 5' and 3' flanking regions (one kilobase each) was determined. The sequence of the mouse apoliprotein E gene was highly homologous to that of the rat gene, not only in the coding regions but also in the non-coding and intron regions. The mouse and the human apolipoprotein E genes were homologous in the 5' proximal flanking region up to about 200 nucleotides as well as in the four exons. This proximal region was highly conserved for the genes of mouse, rat and human; the relative positions of the "TATA box" and the two copies of "GC box" were identical.

We have isolated and analyzed apolipoprotein E5 gene from a patient with hyperlipoproteinemia. Apolipoprotein E5 is a variant of apolipoprotein E with two additional units of positive charge and smaller apparent molecular weight than apolipoprotein E3, which is the major isoform of apolipoprotein E. The heterozygous gene of apolipoprotein E5/3 from the patient was cloned into lambda phage. The cloned apolipoprotein E genes were subcloned into a murine retrovirus shuttle vector and were expressed. One out of four clones expressed apolipoprotein E5. The analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the exons and exon-intron boundary regions has shown a G to A substitution in the 18th nucleotide from the 5'-end of the third exon. This single base substitution changes the amino acid residue Glu to Lys at the third position from the amino-terminus of the mature protein, and gives two additional units of positive charge to the molecule.

A mutant low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor with abnormal ligand binding and recycling abilities was found in a patient with familial hypercholesterolemia. The molecular weights of the precursor and the mature form of the receptor were 72,000 and 115,000, respectively, which were about 45,000 smaller than those of the normal receptor. The mutant receptor was concluded to be present on the cell surface because the mature form was susceptible to Pronase digestion, and specific monoclonal antibody against the LDL receptor (IgG-C7) could bind to the cell surface. This mutant receptor could not bind LDL, but could bind other ligands for the LDL receptor, beta-migrating very low density lipoprotein, and the apolipoprotein E-lipid complex. After the receptor bound to the ligand, it disappeared from the cell surface of the mutant cells faster than that of normal cells, showing that, in the mutant cells, the receptor was not efficiently recycled back to the cell surface. Southern blotting of the genomic DNA from the patient showed a large deletion of about 12 kilobases around the epidermal growth factor precursor homology domain. For further characterization of the mutant, we cloned a 9.4-kilobase EcoRI/XbaI fragment, which was expected to contain the deletion joint. Mapping and sequencing analyses of the receptor gene showed that exons 7-14 were deleted. The nucleotide sequence suggested that this mutation may have occurred by recombination between repetitive Alu sequences in introns 6 and 14 of the receptor gene. The recombination brought about a complete deletion of the gene coding the epidermal growth factor precursor homology domain. The characteristics of the receptor protein produced by this mutation were similar to those of an artificial mutation constructed by Davis et al. (Davis, C. G., Goldstein, J. L., Sudhof, T. C., Anderson, R. G. W., Russell, D. W., and Brown, M. S. (1987) Nature 326, 760-765) in which the whole gene coding this domain was deleted. The clinical phenotype of the patient having this mutation was similar to that of so-called "receptor-defective" type familial hypercholesterolemia, in which cells show detectable, but markedly reduced activity of the LDL receptor.

Carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) digestion of cytochrome b5 incorporated into single-walled liposomes of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) resulted in the release of 25 amino acid residues form each molecule of the cytochrome and concomitant detachment of the cytochrome from the vesicles. This finding suggests that the COOH-terminus of the incorporated cytochrome is exposed to the outer surface of the liposomal membrane, since the cytochrome-carrying vesicles were shown to be impermeable to macromolecules such as dextran T-40 by isopycnic centrifugation studies. The possibility that CPY had attacked a small amount of free cytochrome b5 which was in equilibrium with the liposome-bound cytochrome could be excluded by the finding that transfer of the bound cytochrome to the unbound state was a much slower process than CPY-induced detachment of cytochrome b5. CPY could also attack the COOH-terminus of cytochrome b5 embedded in dipalmitoyl-PC liposomes even below the phase transition temperature of the synthetic phospholipid. Moreover, the tyrosine residue(s) near the COOH-terminus of the PC vesicle-bound cytochrome could be readily iodinated by the action of lactoperoxidase added externally. These observations indicate that the COOH-terminus of the liposome-bound cytochrome, like its heme-containing, hydrophilic domain, is exposed to the outer surface of the vesicular membrane. The cytochrome detached from the vesicles by CPY digestion could neither rebind to the liposomes nor form an oligomeric aggregate, suggesting that CPY had removed all the amino acid residues which are required for the protein to bind to membranes. The mechanism of CPY-induced detachment of cytochrome b5 from liposomes and the size of the peptide segment which is directly involved in the interaction of the cytochrome with the lipid bilayer membranes are discussed.

Triolein particles stabilized with egg yolk phosphatidylcholine monolayer were prepared with two different diameters: 26.7 +/- 3.9 and 229 +/- 80 nm. All the phosphatidylcholine molecules in those particles were readily digested by phospholipase A2 while only the molecules in the outer leaflet of phosphatidylcholine unilamellar vesicles were hydrolyzed under the same conditions. Binding of human plasma apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, C-II, and C-III2 to the particles was studied by two independent techniques: (i) rapid gel permeation chromatography and (ii) ultracentrifugation. All four apolipoproteins bound to the small and large particles in a saturable manner without altering their gross structure, and were displaced by equivalent molecules. The dissociation constant of apolipoprotein A-I for the large particle was 3.17 X 10(-6) M and 4.24 X 10(-6) M by methods (i) and (ii), respectively. These values were more than 10-fold greater than those for the small particles (2.0 X 10(-7) and 1.6 X 10(-7) M, respectively). In contrast, apolipoproteins A-II, C-II, and C-III2 bound to the large particles as strongly as to the small particles with dissociation constants of 2.4-6.8 X 10(-7), 4.5-10.7 X 10(-7), and 5.3-10.7 X 10(-7) M, respectively. The maximum binding level was of a similar order for each of the four apolipoproteins with both lipid particles when they were compared on the basis of amino acids per phospholipid. These results suggest that the apolipoproteins share common binding sites on the lipid particles, and are consistent with the characteristic distribution of apolipoproteins A-I and C among various classes of lipoproteins in plasma.

The present data describe the mechanism of the inhibitory effects of human plasma apolipoproteins A-I and A-II on hydrolysis of triglyceride catalyzed by hepatic triglyceride lipase using a substrate of triolein particles stabilized with gum arabic in vitro. The experimental data could well be described by a model in which apolipoproteins bound to the surface of lipid substrate particles inhibited the enzyme reaction. The values of Km obtained were similar with or without inhibitors and the calculated saturation levels of apolipoprotein binding to the lipid were in good agreement with those obtained in independent binding experiments.

The binding of cytochrome b5 to single-walled liposomes of egg phosphatidylcholine was inhibited by the presence of cholesterol in the lipid bilayer under conditions where a limited amount of liposomes was incubated with the cytochrome. Since similar conditions seem to apply for the binding of cytochrome b5 to erythrocyte ghosts, this observation supports the conclusion of Enomoto and Sato (Enomoto, K. and Sato, R. (1977) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 466, 136–147) that the localization of cholesterol on the outer surface of the ghost membrane prevents the binding of cytochrome b5 to this surface. The finding reported by Roseman et al. (Roseman, M.A., Holloway, P.W. and Calabro, M.A. (1978) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 507, 552–556) that cholesterol did not prevent the cytochrome binding to phosphatidylcholine liposomes in the presence of a large excess of liposomes could be confirmed in the present study, but this does not contradict the abovementioned conclusion.

Lipoprotein lipase [EC 3.1.1.34, LpL] was purified from human postheparin plasma (PHP) almost to homogeneity (a 210,000-fold purification) using columns of heparin-Sepharose, hydroxylapatite, and concanavalin A-Sepharose, and its properties were compared with the purified bovine milk LpL. The specific activity of the PHP-LpL was 26 mmol free fatty acids (FFA)/h/mg of protein at 37 degrees C; close to that of bovine milk LpL (35 mmol FFA/h/mg). For both enzyme preparations, the pH optimum (about 8.7) and the inhibition by sodium chloride were almost the same. The apparent Michaelis constants were also similar; 2.5 mM for human PHP-LpL and 2.1 mM for bovine milk LpL. The apparent molecular weight of the purified human PHP-LpL was 58,000 by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate, slightly larger than that of the bovine milk LpL (56,000). Although the amino acid composition of the two LpL preparations had only slight differences, antibody raised against bovine milk LpL cross-reacted very weakly with purified human PHP-LpL. With 1% bovine serum albumin, bovine milk LpL was highly stable, but the human PHP-LpL was unstable; it lost 60% of its activity within 60 min at 0 degrees C. In the absence of apolipoprotein C-II (apo C-II), the activity of human PHP-LpL was very weak. However, human PHP-LpL was activated by apo C-II more strongly than bovine milk LpL; the fold activation of human PHP-LpL by apo C-II was 7-8 times that of bovine milk LpL. The apparent Km value of human PHP-LpL for apo C-II (1.00 +/- 0.58 microM) was larger than that of bovine milk LpL (0.15 +/- 0.03 microM).

Rabbit cytochrome b5 was incorporated into single-walled phosphatidylcholine liposomes, and the cytochrome b5-liposome complex thus formed was digested with trypsin. Protein chemical characterization indicated that the main products formed were 1) a hydrophilic (heme-containing) fragment of the cytochrome corresponding to the sequence consisting of the masked NH2-terminus through residue 88, 2) a hydrophobic peptide which spans residue 91 to the COOH-terminus (residue 133), and 3) a dipeptide, seryl-lysine, derived from residues 89 and 90. The hydrophobic peptide was obtained in the form of its complex with liposomes. It was concluded that trypsin cleaved rather specifically the peptide bonds between residues 88 and 89 (Arg-Ser) and between residues 90 and 91 (Lys-Leu). Tryptic digestion of free, unbound cytochrome b5 also resulted in the cleavage of the same peptide bonds. These results are not consistent with the proposal of Visser et al. (Visser, L., Robinson, N.C., & Tanford, C. (1975) Biochemistry 14, 1194-1199) that the hydrophilic and hydrophobic domains of cytochrome b5 are connected to each other by a link peptide consisting of some 15 amino acid residues and that this link peptide can be cut out by the action of trypsin. The circular dichroism spectrum of intact cytochrome b5 or its complex with liposomes in the far-ultraviolet region was closely similar to the sum of the spectra of the hydrophilic fragment and the hydrophobic peptide (or its complex with liposomes). This indicates that the tryptic cleavage of the cytochrome molecule does not induce any significant changes in the conformations of the hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties of the molecule and thus provides further evidence that the three-dimensional structures of the two domains are independent of each other.

We have isolated and analyzed apolipoprotein E7 gene from a patient with hyperlipoproteinemia. Apolipoprotein E7 (apolipoprotein E-Suita) is a variant of apolipoprotein E with four additional units of positive charge compared to apolipoprotein E3, which is the major isoform of apolipoprotein E. The heterozygous gene of apolipoprotein E7/3 from the patient was cloned into lambda phage. The cloned apolipoprotein E genes were subcloned into a murine retrovirus shuttle vector and were expressed. Two out of five clones expressed apolipoprotein E7. The analysis of the nucleotide sequence of the exon and exon-intron boundary regions has shown two G-to-A nucleotide substitutions in the 548 and 551 nucleotide positions from the 5'-end of the fourth exon. These two base substitutions change the amino acid residues -Glu-Glu- to -Lys-Lys- at the 244 and 245 positions from the amino-terminus of the mature protein, and give four additional units of positive charge to the molecule.

The Tol2 transposon system is a useful gene transduction technique, but the injection of mRNA is not sufficiently effective in Xenopus embryos to express Tol2 transposase (Tol2TP). To overcome this, we bacterially synthesized recombinant Tol2TP (rTol2TP) protein and showed that rTol2TP efficiently excised the Tol2 element from an injected donor plasmid in Xenopus embryos. Furthermore, injected embryos exhibited uniform and ubiquitous expression of an EGFP reporter gene placed within the Tol2 element. Importantly, size-exclusion chromatography suggests that rTol2TP forms a tetramer, which differs from the reported hexamer formed by Hermes transposase, although both belong to the same hAT family. The use of rTol2TP may facilitate efficient gene transduction in Xenopus, and the biochemical characterization of Tol2TP.

NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase is an amphiphilic protein consisting of a hydrophilic (FAD-containing) moiety and a hydrophobic (membrane-binding) segment and exists in aqueous media as an oligomeric aggregate. Circular dichroism studies have shown that denaturation of the reductase by guanidine hydrochloride in the presence of Emulgen 109P, a nonionic detergent, is a two-stage process as a function of the denaturant concentration. The first transition occurs at about 1 m guanidine hydrochloride and the second one at much higher concentrations. The guanidine hydrochloride concentration causing the second-stage unfolding depends on the concentration of Emulgen 109P. A hydrophilic fragment of the reductase lacking the hydrophobic segment undergoes one-stage denaturation at about 1 m guandine hydrochloride regardless of the presence and absence of Emulgen 109P. Both the reductase as well as the hydrophilic fragment lose their NADH-ferricyanide reductase activity and FAD also at about 1 m guanidine hydrochloride in the presence of the detergent. These findings suggest that the first-stage denaturation of the reductase represents the unfolding of the hydrophilic moiety and the second one that of the hydrophobic segment. Gel chromatography experiments have suggested that in the presence of Emulgen 109P the reductase exists as a mixed micelle with the detergent and this aggregation state persists even after the first-stage denaturation (unfolding of the hydrophilic moiety). The dissociation of the mixed micelle seems to take place concomitant with the second-stage denaturation. It is concluded that the two moieties of the reductase molecule, though linked to each other covalently, exist as independent domains undergoing unfolding separately at least in the presence of Emulgen 109P. This structural feature of the reductase is similar to that of cytochrome b5 reported by us. The reductase is, therefore, another example of amphiphilic membrane proteins having two structurally independent domains in the molecule.

During studies on binding of low density lipoprotein (LDL) to fibroblasts from patients with the homozygous form of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a unique line was derived from subject M.N. This line could bind as much LDL as normal cells, or even more. However, like fibroblasts from other patients with the homozygous form of FH, it failed to show regulation of cholesterol synthesis. Analyses of the LDL receptors showed that this line could not mediate internalization of receptor-bound LDL. Studies on the fibroblasts of the parents of this subject showed that the inability to internalize LDL was hereditary and that the subject was a pure homozygote for this defect. The plausibility of this finding was supported by the fact that her parents were first cousins. The possible existence of a homozygous state of this defect was predicted by Goldstein et al. [Goldstein, J. L., Brown, M. S. & Stone, N. J. (1977) Cell 12, 629-41], but an actual case of the internalization defect in a pure homozygous form had not been found. There were no differences from normal cells in the nature of the LDL binding activity of this line, such as in its specificity, affinity, or Ca2+ requirement.

Human plasma apolipoprotein E (apo-E) strongly self-associates to form a stable tetramer in an aqueous solution at pH 7.4 containing 0.15 M NaCl. Tetramerized apo-E is abundant in alpha-helical conformation with an asymmetric molecular shape. Apo-E forms a stable monolayer at the air-water interface with a collapse pressure of 14 dynes/cm and with a limiting molecular area of 21 A2/amino acid. Under low surface pressure (less than 0.5 dyne/cm), it behaves as a monomer at the interface. It binds reversibly to the surface of phosphatidylcholine-coated triolein particles with a diameter of 26 nm from the aqueous phase in which most of the molecules are tetramerized. An apparent dissociation constant (Kd), 1.2 X 10(-6) M (monomeric molarity) or 40 mg/l, is substantially larger than those of the other apolipoproteins, while a binding saturation level (N), 0.8 amino acid/surface phospholipid, is equivalent to the N values of those proteins (Tajima, S., Yokoyama, S., and Yamamoto, A. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 10073-10082). Content of alpha-helix increases slightly when it is transferred from the aqueous phase to the lipid surface. The results are consistent with a model that amphiphilic alpha-helical conformation is responsible both for self-association and surface binding and suggest that apo-E may easily dissociate from the lipoprotein surface to form a self-associated soluble tetramer.

Two siblings with marked reduction of plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL) were found in a Japanese family. Their plasma cholesterol levels were very low (30–60 mg/dl), especially in the HDL fraction (0–1 mg/dl). The concentration of apolipoprotein (Apo) A-I in their plasma was 2–3 mg/dl and that of Apo A-II was 1.5–2.0 mg/dl, determined by means of a single radial immunodiffusion technique. An ultracentrifugally separated HDL fraction contained two different populations of lipoprotein particles, as shown by electron microscopy; a small particle with a diameter of 50–70 A and a relatively large particle at 200 A. Plasma lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase activity was substantially retained in both cases. Hepatosplenomegaly was present and liver biopsy revealed lipid deposition in reticuloendothelial cells, although the tonsils were apparently normal. No severe atherosclerotic lesions were noticed. The results from these two cases were consistent with the characteristic features of homozygotes of familial HDL deficiency (Tangier disease). HDL cholesterol levels were relatively low in the parents and two children from one patient, which is consistent with the heterozygote state. Two other cases in the kindred were also found to have relatively low HDL cholesterol levels, besides these 4 cases of obligate heterozygotes. Apo A-I and Apo A-II levels in the plasms of the obligate heterozygotes, however, were within the normal range. Plasma low density lipoprotein in the patients moved faster in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis than those of normal subjects, as did those in the heterozygotes.

Signal recognition particle (SRP) and SRP receptor are known to be essential components of the cellular machinery that targets nascent secretory proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Here we report that the SRP receptor contains, in addition to the previously identified and sequenced 69-kD polypeptide (alpha-subunit, SR alpha), a 30-kD beta-subunit (SR beta). When SRP receptor was purified by SRP-Sepharose affinity chromatography, we observed the co-purification of two other ER membrane proteins. Both proteins are approximately 30 kD in size and are immunologically distinct from each other, as well as from SR alpha and SRP proteins. One of the 30-kD proteins (SR beta) forms a tight complex with SR alpha in detergent solution that is stable to high salt and can be immunoprecipitated with antibodies to either SR alpha or SR beta. Both subunits are present in the ER membrane in equimolar amounts and co-fractionate in constant stoichiometry when rough and smooth liver microsomes are separated on sucrose gradients. We therefore conclude that SR beta is an integral component of SRP receptor. The presence of SR beta was previously masked by proteolytic breakdown products of SR alpha observed by others and by the presence of another 30-kD ER membrane protein (mp30) which co-purifies with SR alpha. Mp30 binds to SRP-Sepharose directly and is present in the ER membrane in several-fold molar excess of SR alpha and SR beta. The affinity of mp30 for SRP suggests that it may serve a yet unknown function in protein translocation.