6 - Lipoproteins Flashcards
What are lipoproteins used for?
Carrying TAG and cholesterol around the body.
Describe the structure of cholesterol.
A largely hydrophobic molecule with a single hydroxyl group at the tip, allowing it to orient itself within lipid bilayers and esterify with fatty acids.
What is cholesterol used for?
Synthesis of steroid hormones and bile acids.
Providing mechanical stability to membranes.
What is the total amount of cholesterol in the body? What proportions are found within the blood and lipoproteins?
140g total
8g in the blood, 5 of which are in lipoproteins.
What is the average daily intake of cholesterol and how much of that is absorbed?
1g, 400mg of which is absorbed.
What is the total turnover through the body of cholesterol?
1g per day.
How much cholesterol is synthesised per day?
600mg
Where is cholesterol synthesised?
The liver.
In what forms and relative quantities does cholesterol enter the latter part of the digestive tract? How much of each is re-absorbed?
1g of simple cholesterol, 18g of bile salts.
All but 0.5g of each is reabsorbed.
How are lipoproteins classed?
By their density.
What is the density of lipoproteins dependent on?
The ratio of TAG to the heavier cholesterol/proteins.
Describe the structure of a lipoprotein.
Large hydrophobic droplet encased in a cholesterol containing lipid monolayer that contains many embedded proteins. One long winding apoprotein wraps around it.
What is the function of apoproteins?
Recognition and binding of lipoproteins to their target cells.
What protein family contains the apoproteins?
Apo
What is the most common apoprotein, and what lipoproteins is it found on?
Apo B-100, which is non-interchangeable on all but chylomicrons.
What difficulties are there in the study of apoproteins?
Because they fold only when they attach to the lipoproteins their structure cannot be analysed by most imaging techniques. They are also thought to undergo large conformational changes depending on the size and content of the lipoprotein.
What methods of study can be used on apoproteins?
Protease susceptibility, ligand receptor analysis and epitope expression.
Where is Apo B-48 found?
The small intestine.
How is Apo B-48 expressed?
It is a truncated apo B-100, translated short due to small intestine expression of an enzyme that modifies a single base pair in the mRNA to produce an early stop codon.
What lipoprotein is Apo B-48 used in?
Chylomicrons.
What is the function of Apo CII?
Allows the lipoproteins to bind to lipoprotein lipase and hence facilitates cargo removal.
How many lipoprotein lipases can bind a single lipoprotein at any given time?
Up to 40.
Which tissue expresses LPLs that do not require CII?
The liver.
What are the five types of lipoprotein?
Chlyomicrons VLDLs LDLs IDLs HDLs