title: Reconstituted high-density lipoproteins with a disulfide-linked apolipoprotein A-I dimer: evidence for restricted particle size heterogeneity.
abstract: The apolipoprotein A-IMilano (apoA-IM) is a molecular variant of apoA-I characterized by the Arg173-->Cys substitution, resulting in the formation of homodimers (A-IM/A-IM) and heterodimers with apoA-II. In order to examine the effects of the introduction of an interchain disulfide bridge on the lipid-binding properties of apoA-I, the present studies compare the kinetics of association of A-IM/A-IM and apoA-I with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), and the structure and properties of reconstituted HDL containing palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) and either A-IM/A-IM or apoA-I. The results show that apoA-I dimerization does not affect the rate of association with DMPC. Apolipoprotein-POPC complexes instead, when analyzed by nondenaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, demonstrate that, differently from apoA-I, A-IM/A-IM forms only two species of rHDL particles despite a wide range of initial lipid to protein ratios. These two rHDL species contain one or two A-IM/A-IM molecules and have a diameter of 7.8 nm and 12.5 nm. Investigations of the A-IM/A-IM structure in these two rHDL, by circular dichroism, fluorescence, and second-derivative UV spectroscopy, suggest that the secondary and tertiary structures of A-IM/A-IM are remarkably similar in both small and large particles. These results suggest that the introduction of an interchain disulfide bridge does not affect the association of apoA-I with lipids but restricts HDL particle size heterogeneity, thus possibly affecting HDL function in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis protection.
authors.affiliation: Center E. Grossi Paoletti, Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calabresi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vecchio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Frigerio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vavassori
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Sirtori
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franceschini
mesh_terms: D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I / Q000737:chemistry*; D019281:Dimerization; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL