JBC, Vol. 252, Issue 7, 2200-2205, Apr, 1977
Physical properties of isolated complexes of human and bovine A-I apolipoproteins with L-alpha-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine
A. Jonas, D. J. Krajnovich and B. W. Patterson
Human or bovine A-I apolipoproteins in solution form complexes with
sonicated L-alpha-dimirystoyl phosphatidylcholine at 23 and 37 degrees, but
not at 8 degrees, suggesting a strong dependence of the interaction on the
physical state of the lipid (phase transition temperature 23 degrees).
Complexes were isolated by gel filtration on a Sepharose 4B column and were
subsequently analyzed for protein and lipid content, molecular weight, and
physical state of the lipid portion. The average stoichiometry of all
complexes, regardless of the initial concentrations or ratios of protein
and lipid, was constant: 90 +/- 20 mol of phospholipid/mol of protein
monomer, suggesting a highly cooperative interaction. Sedimentation
equilibrium experiments indicated homogeneous macromolecular preparations
and gave molecular weights around 235,000 (+/- 15%) for the complexes, with
the human and bovine apo-A-I proteins contributing 77,000 (+/- 10%), i.e.
about three protein subunits per complex. The lipid portion of the
complexes retained some characteristics of a bilayer: it had a broad phase
transition with a midpoint at 25.5 degrees as reported by the fluorescence
polarization of the lipophilic probe diphenylhexatriene. Above the phase
transition temperature the mobility of the phospholipids in the complexes
with both apo-A-I proteins was considerably decreased relative to the pure
L-alpha-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine dispersion; below the phase
transition temperature the opposite was true, i.e. the protein fluidized
the lipids. The results indicate that apol-A-I proteins interact
stoichiometrically with L-alpha-dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine vesicles
above the gel to liquid-crystalline transition temperature of the lipid,
promoting the destruction of vesicles and the formation of well defined
particles of the general size of high density serum lipoproteins.