Dataset Information

Atomistic simulations of phosphatidylcholines and cholesteryl esters in high-density lipoprotein-sized lipid droplet and trilayer: clues to cholesteryl ester transport and storage.

ABSTRACT: Cholesteryl esters (CEs) are the water-insoluble transport and storage form of cholesterol. For both transport and storage, phospholipids and proteins embrace the CEs to form an amphipathic monolayer that surrounds the CEs. CEs are transported extracellularly in lipoproteins and are stored intracellularly as cytoplasmic lipid droplets. To clarify the molecular phenomena related to the above structures, we conducted atomistic molecular-dynamics simulations for a spherical, approximately high density lipoprotein sized lipid droplet comprised of palmitoyl-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and cholesteryl oleate (CO) molecules. An additional simulation was conducted for a lamellar lipid trilayer consisting of the same lipid constituents. The density profiles showed that COs were located in the core of the spherical droplet. In trilayer simulations, CO molecules were also in the core and formed two denser strata. This is remarkable because the intra- and intermolecular behaviors of the COs were similar to previous findings from bulk COs in the fluid phase. In accordance with previous experimental studies, the solubility of COs in the POPC monolayers was found to be low. The orientation distribution of the sterol moiety with respect to the normal of the system was found to be broad, with mainly isotropic or slightly parallel orientations observed deep in the core of the lipid droplet or the trilayer, respectively. In both systems, the orientation of the sterol moiety changed to perpendicular with respect to the normal close to the phopsholipid monolayers. Of interest, within the POPC monolayers, the intramolecular conformation of the COs varied from the previously proposed horseshoe-like conformation to a more extended one. From a metabolic point of view, the observed solubilization of CEs into the phospholipid monolayers, and the conformation of CEs in the phospholipid monolayers are likely to be important regulatory factors of CE transport and hydrolysis.

SUBMITTER: Koivuniemi A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2712190 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Atomistic simulations of phosphatidylcholines and cholesteryl esters in high-density lipoprotein-sized lipid droplet and trilayer: clues to cholesteryl ester transport and storage.

Koivuniemi Artturi A Heikelä Mikko M Kovanen Petri T PT Vattulainen Ilpo I Hyvönen Marja T MT

Biophysical journal 20090501 10

Cholesteryl esters (CEs) are the water-insoluble transport and storage form of cholesterol. For both transport and storage, phospholipids and proteins embrace the CEs to form an amphipathic monolayer that surrounds the CEs. CEs are transported extracellularly in lipoproteins and are stored intracellularly as cytoplasmic lipid droplets. To clarify the molecular phenomena related to the above structures, we conducted atomistic molecular-dynamics simulations for a spherical, approximately high dens ...[more]

PMID: 19450481

Similar Datasets

Project description:We have observed recently that high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are the predominant carriers of cholesteryl ester hydroperoxides (CEOOH), the major class of lipid hydroperoxides detectable at nanomolar concentrations in the plasma of healthy fasting humans. The present study investigates the effect of such very low levels of CEOOH in apolipoprotein E-free HDL3 on lipoprotein particle metabolism and 'selective uptake' of its CE by human Hep G2 cells. Minimal oxidation with aqueous peroxyl radicals had a negligible effect on the binding, internalization and degradation of 125I-labelled HDL3. In contrast, with an increasing degree of radical-mediated oxidation of labelled HDL3, [3H]cholesteryl linoleate ([3H]Ch18:2) was taken up at an increasingly greater rate than were 125I-apoproteins. When [3H]cholesteryl linoleate hydroperoxide ([3H]Ch18:2-OOH was incorporated into unoxidized HDL3 by exchange from donor liposomes, it was taken up at a more than 8-fold higher rate than was incorporated [3H]Ch18:2. The same degree of preferential uptake of oxidized CE was observed when HDL3 was used that was doubly labelled with [3H]Ch18:2-OOH and cholesteryl [14C]oleate ([14C]Ch18:1). In both situations, uptake of [3H]Ch18:2-OOH exceeded that of 125I-apolipoprotein A-I some 40-fold. This increased selective uptake of [3H]Ch18:2-OOH from very mildly oxidized HDL3 was accompanied by a parallel increase in the intracellular levels of labelled free cholesterol. In contrast, lipid hydroperoxides were not detectable within Hep G2 cells, suggesting efficient detoxification of CEOOH by these cells. Neither the increased selective uptake of Ch18:2-OOHs nor the levels of intracellular free cholesterol were influenced by the presence of 50 microM chloroquine, suggesting extralysosomal hydrolysis of oxidized CEs. These results show that the selective uptake of HDL CEOOH by Hep G2 cells is more efficient than that of unoxidized CE, and support a protective role for rapid selective uptake in the removal of circulating HDL CEOOH.

Project description:Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibition reduces vascular event risk, but confusion surrounds its effects on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Here, we clarify associations of genetic inhibition of CETP on detailed lipoprotein measures and compare those to genetic inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR). We used an allele associated with lower CETP expression (rs247617) to mimic CETP inhibition and an allele associated with lower HMGCR expression (rs12916) to mimic the well-known effects of statins for comparison. The study consists of 65,427 participants of European ancestries with detailed lipoprotein subclass profiling from nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Genetic associations were scaled to 10% reduction in relative risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). We also examined observational associations of the lipoprotein subclass measures with risk of incident CHD in 3 population-based cohorts totalling 616 incident cases and 13,564 controls during 8-year follow-up. Genetic inhibition of CETP and HMGCR resulted in near-identical associations with LDL cholesterol concentration estimated by the Friedewald equation. Inhibition of HMGCR had relatively consistent associations on lower cholesterol concentrations across all apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins. In contrast, the associations of the inhibition of CETP were stronger on lower remnant and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol, but there were no associations on cholesterol concentrations in LDL defined by particle size (diameter 18-26 nm) (-0.02 SD LDL defined by particle size; 95% CI: -0.10 to 0.05 for CETP versus -0.24 SD, 95% CI -0.30 to -0.18 for HMGCR). Inhibition of CETP was strongly associated with lower proportion of triglycerides in all high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. In observational analyses, a higher triglyceride composition within HDL subclasses was associated with higher risk of CHD, independently of total cholesterol and triglycerides (strongest hazard ratio per 1 SD higher triglyceride composition in very large HDL 1.35; 95% CI: 1.18-1.54). In conclusion, CETP inhibition does not appear to affect size-specific LDL cholesterol but is likely to lower CHD risk by lowering concentrations of other atherogenic, apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins (such as remnant and VLDLs). Inhibition of CETP also lowers triglyceride composition in HDL particles, a phenomenon reflecting combined effects of circulating HDL, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B-containing particles and is associated with a lower CHD risk in observational analyses. Our results reveal that conventional composite lipid assays may mask heterogeneous effects of emerging lipid-altering therapies.

Dataset Information

Atomistic simulations of phosphatidylcholines and cholesteryl esters in high-density lipoprotein-sized lipid droplet and trilayer: clues to cholesteryl ester transport and storage.

Publications

Atomistic simulations of phosphatidylcholines and cholesteryl esters in high-density lipoprotein-sized lipid droplet and trilayer: clues to cholesteryl ester transport and storage.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets