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Department of Pathology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 271571040
Apolipoprotein (apo) B and the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein
are essential for the hepatic assembly and secretion of
triglyceride-rich VLDL. To understand how apoB initiates the process of
lipoprotein formation, interest has focused on the biogenesis of its
amino terminal globular domain (
1 domain). When only
this domain is expressed in hepatoma cells, no lipoprotein particle
will form. However, proper folding of the
1 domain is
essential for the internal lipophilic regions of apoB to engage in
cotranslational lipid recruitment. The essential function of this
domain may be related to its capacity to promote a specific physical
interaction with the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein,
necessary for apoB's proper folding and lipidation. Alternatively,
this domain may promote an autonomous lipid recruitment step that
nucleates microsomal triglyceride transfer protein-dependent lipid
sequestration by apoB. Forms of apoB that fail to initiate particle
assembly or forms associated with aberrant underlipidated particles are
targeted for intracellular turnover. Two sites of apoB degradation have
been identified. In hepatocarcinoma-derived cells, misassembled apoB
may undergo progressive reverse translocation from the endoplasmic
reticulum lumen to the cytosol, a process that is mechanistically
coupled to polyubiquitination and proteasome-mediated degradation on
the cytosolic side of the membrane. Alternatively, studies in primary
hepatocytes reveal that apoB may undergo sorting to a post-endoplasmic
reticulum compartment for presecretory degradation. In either case, the
balance between assembly and presecretory degradation of apoB may
represent a control point for the production of hepatic VLDL.
KEY WORDS: lipid acquisition microsomal triglyceride transfer protein protein domains protein folding proteosomes