title: Overexpression of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor eliminates LDL from plasma in transgenic mice.
abstract: A complementary DNA encoding the human low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor under control of the mouse metallothionein-I promoter was injected into fertilized mouse eggs, and a strain of mice expressing high levels of LDL receptors was established. After administration of cadmium, these mice cleared intravenously injected 125I-labeled LDL from blood eight to ten times more rapidly than did normal mice. The plasma concentrations of apoproteins B-100 and E, the two ligands for the LDL receptor, declined by more than 90 percent after cadmium treatment, but the concentration of another apoprotein, A-I, was unaffected. Therefore, overexpression of an endocytotic receptor can dramatically lower the ambient concentration of its ligand in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas 75235.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hammer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010957:Plasmids; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D004247:DNA