Lipoproteins Flashcards
What is the purpose of albumin?
Albumin binds free fatty acids in hydrophobic pockets
What is the purpose of lipoproteins ?
The purpose of lipoproteins is to transport the totally nonpolar TAGs and cholesteryl esters
What is special about lipoproteins?
- Lipoproteins are spherical complexes of lipids that interact to the outside with the water phase and transport inside nonpolar lipids
- The outer shell is a phospholipid monolayer which makes only the outside polar and keeps the inside hydrophobic for transport of TAGs and cholesterol esters
- The monolayer contains apolipoproteins and a small amount of free cholesterol
Give a short description of chylomicrons
Chylomicrons are released by the intestinal mucousal cells into the lymph and contain dietary lipids including lipid-soluble vitamins
Give a short description of VLDLs
VLDLs are released by the liver into the blood and contain TAGs and cholesterol esters
Give a short description of LDLs
LDLs are formed in the blood from VLDL and deliver cholesterol esters to cells that need cholesterol.
Give a short description HDLs
HDLs perform the reverse cholesterol transport to the liver and are filled in the blood with cholesterol esters. They also provide apolipoproteins to chylomicrons and VDLD
Contrast the lipoproteins in terms of s8zes
Chylomicrons are the largest and contain mostly TAGs.
VLDLs are TAG-rich and LDLs are cholesterol rich
HDLs are the smallest and rich in app-proteins
How are lipoproteins separated based on density?
Separation by ultra-Centrifugation from very low to high density leads to naming as VLDL, IDL, LDL and HDL
- Chylomicrons are separated without Centrifugation as they float on top of a blood sample
- VLDL (Very low density lipoproteins)
- IDL( intermediate density lipoprotein)
- LDL (low density lipoprotein )
- HDL (high density lipoprotein)
Which lipoprotein has the highest % of TAGs?
Chylomicrons
What does high chylomicrons and VLDL lead to?
Chylomicrons (CM) and VLDL represent the lipoproteins that transport most TAGs in the blood
As increase of CM or VLDL leads to “high TAGs in blood” the TAGs are found inside lipoprotein and are not free in the blood
Which lipoprotein has the highest % of cholesterol?
LDL has the highest % of cholesterol ester and free cholesterol
Explain the metabolism of chylomicrons
- Intestinal mucousal cells secrete nascent TG-rich chylomicrons produced primarily from dietary lipids
- Apo C-II and apo E are transferred from HDL to the nascent CM
- Extracellular lipoprotein lipase, activated by apo C-II, degrades TG in CM
- Apo C-II is returned to HDL
- CM reminants bind to specific receptors on the liver where they are endocytosed
How are chylomicrons formed?
Chylomicrons are formed by intestinal mucousal cells and contain dietary lipidsincluding lipid-soluble vitamins. They are released from the cells into the lymph
What is the function of chylomicrons?
To transport dietary lipids in the blood and provide substrates for lipoprotein lipases which cleave TAGs in lipoproteins