VLDL receptor in health and disease: interview with a receptor in avian oocytes and mammalian muscle and fat cells.
The VLDL receptor is made up of five functional domains that resemble the LDL receptor. In mammals, the receptor is highly expressed in muscle and fat cells, while in chicken, it is abundant in oocytes. The extremely high degree of amino acid conservation of the VLDL receptor during the evolution suggests that the receptor plays an essential role in vertebrates. Recent studies on the chicken VLDL receptor revealed that the receptor plays a key role in the uptake of yolk precursors in oocytes and mediates the growth of oocytes. The VLDL receptor is an essential receptor in avian species and the receptor-deficient mutant hens are sterile and exhibit severe hyperlipidemia with aortic atherosclerosis.
Bujo
H
H
Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Vienna, Austria.
Yamamoto
T
T
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D011817:Rabbits; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D011973:Receptors, LDL; C036053:VLDL receptor