Apolipoproteins (Apo) A-I, A-II, A-IV, and E possess repeated amphipathic helical regions with the same genomic structure and are members of a multigene family that probably evolved from a common ancestral gene [1]. These apolipoproteins play pivotal roles in lipid transport and lipoprotein metabolism, and their carboxyl-terminal domain is critical for lipid binding [2]. The purpose of this com...

Site-directed mutagenesis and other molecular biology-based techniques are now available for probing the amphipathic alpha helix structural motif in the exchangeable apolipoproteins. Here we survey the published literature on lipid-binding and functional domains in apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, A-IV, C-I, C-II, C-III, and E and compare these results with recently developed computer methods for ana...

Recent studies have shown that drugs that are normally unable to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) following intravenous injection can be transported across this barrier by binding to poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles and coating with polysorbate 80. However, the mechanism of this transport so far was not known. In the present paper, the possible involvement of apolipoproteins in the tr...

We have reported previously that, in HepG2 cells, there is a lack of coordinate induction of triglyceride and apolipoprotein (apo) production by oleate and that insulin inhibits the production of triglyceride-rich, apoB-containing lipoproteins. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the effects of oleate and insulin on the net accumulation of apolipoproteins, specifically apoB, w...

The effect of rat whole blood plasma, serum, serum lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins on the stability of unilamellar liposomes prepared with French pressure cell was evaluated by measuring the release of entrapped carboxyfluorescein and by electron microscopy. In the absence of serum components, dye escaped very slowly (hours) from egg phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol (43...

Insulin inhibits the secretion of lipoprotein components such as triglyceride, phospholipid, and apolipoproteins B and E in primary rat hepatocyte cultures. The aim of this study was to determine whether these hormonal effects are related to the interaction of insulin with its receptor on the surface of cultured hepatocytes. Half-maximal inhibition of secretion of apolipoprotein E and triglycer...

Binding and uptake of rat chylomicrons of different metabolic stages by the hepatic low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) receptor were studied. Pure chylomicrons, characterized by apolipoprotein B-48 devoid of contaminating B-100, were labelled in their cholesteryl esters. Lymph chylomicrons and serum chylomicrons, enriched in apolipoprotein E and the C-apolipoproteins, bound poorly to rat hepatic mem...

BACKGROUND Studies of the genetic and environmental influences on apolipoproteins have been conducted, but few have used data from Japanese twins. The aim of this study was to quantify and compare the genetic and environmental causes of individual differences in the serum concentrations of apolipoproteins in Japanese middle-aged twins. METHODS Apo A-I, apo A-II, apo B, apo C-II, apo C-III, an...

The production of lipids, apolipoproteins (apo), and lipoproteins induced by oleic acid has been examined in Caco-2 cells. The rates of accumulation in the control medium of 15-day-old Caco-2 cells of triglycerides, unesterified cholesterol, and cholesteryl esters were 102 +/- 8, 73 +/- 5, and 11 +/- 1 ng/mg cell protein/h, respectively; the accumulation rates for apolipoproteins A-I, B, C-III,...