Structure and interfacial properties of chicken apolipoprotein A-IV

Division of Chinese soft-shelled turtle intestine with molecular markers is slightly different from the morphological and histological observation

The Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is a commercially important species in Asian countries. Knowledge of its nutritional requirements and physiology is essential for determining the appropriate content of the feed for this animal. However, the lack of functional characterization of the intestine of this turtle limits the understanding of its absorption and utilization of nutritional materials. To solve this problem, this work utilized anatomical and histological methods to characterize 9 segments sampled along the anterior-posterior axis of the intestine. Furthermore, 9 genes, which have been well documented in the intestine division of mammals and fish, were employed to functionally characterize the 9 sampled segments. Our results suggest that regions covering from the starting site to S3 (position at 29.9% of the total length from the starting of the intestine) are the equivalent of mammalian dedumonen, and those covering S4 (40.2%) and S5 (65.4%), posterior to S8 (92.7%), are the equivalent of the mammalian ileum and the large intestine, respectively. As to the region spaning S6 (81.3%) and S7 (87.3%), its functional equivalent (small intestine or large intestine) may be variable and depends on the functional genes. This molecular characterization in relation to the division of the intestine of Chinese soft-shelled turtle may contribute to the understanding of the nutritional physiology of the turtle, and promote Chinese soft-shelled turtle production.

Apolipoprotein A-IV: a protein intimately involved in metabolism

The purpose of this review is to summarize our current understanding of the physiological roles of apoA-IV in metabolism, and to underscore the potential for apoA-IV to be a focus for new therapies aimed at the treatment of diabetes and obesity-related disorders. ApoA-IV is primarily synthesized by the small intestine, attached to chylomicrons by enterocytes, and secreted into intestinal lymph during fat absorption. In circulation, apoA-IV is associated with HDL and chylomicron remnants, but a large portion is lipoprotein free. Due to its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, and because it can mediate reverse-cholesterol transport, proposed functions of circulating apoA-IV have been related to protection from cardiovascular disease. This review, however, focuses primarily on several properties of apoA-IV that impact other metabolic functions related to food intake, obesity, and diabetes. In addition to participating in triglyceride absorption, apoA-IV can act as an acute satiation factor through both peripheral and central routes of action. It also modulates glucose homeostasis through incretin-like effects on insulin secretion, and by moderating hepatic glucose production. While apoA-IV receptors remain to be conclusively identified, the latter modes of action suggest that this protein holds therapeutic promise for treating metabolic disease.

The structure of human apolipoprotein A-IV as revealed by stable isotope-assisted cross-linking, molecular dynamics, and small angle x-ray scattering

Apolipoprotein (apo)A-IV plays important roles in dietary lipid and glucose metabolism, and knowledge of its structure is required to fully understand the molecular basis of these functions. However, typical of the entire class of exchangeable apolipoproteins, its dynamic nature and affinity for lipid has posed challenges to traditional high resolution structural approaches. We previously reported an x-ray crystal structure of a dimeric truncation mutant of apoA-IV, which showed a unique helix-swapping molecular interface. Unfortunately, the structures of the N and C termini that are important for lipid binding were not visualized. To build a more complete model, we used chemical cross-linking to derive distance constraints across the full-length protein. The approach was enhanced with stable isotope labeling to overcome ambiguities in determining molecular span of the cross-links given the remarkable similarities in the monomeric and dimeric apoA-IV structures. Using 51 distance constraints, we created a starting model for full-length monomeric apoA-IV and then subjected it to two modeling approaches: (i) molecular dynamics simulations and (ii) fitting to small angle x-ray scattering data. This resulted in the most detailed models yet for lipid-free monomeric or dimeric apoA-IV. Importantly, these models were of sufficient detail to direct the experimental identification of new functional residues that participate in a "clasp" mechanism to modulate apoA-IV lipid affinity. The isotope-assisted cross-linking approach should prove useful for further study of this family of apolipoproteins in both the lipid-free and -bound states.

Specific sequences in N termini of apolipoprotein A-IV modulate its anorectic effect

Rodent apoA-IV is expressed predominantly in small intestine and also expressed to a small extent in liver and hypothalamus. ApoA-IV has been shown to inhibit food intake in rats when injected centrally. In the current study, we hypothesize that a specific sequence within rat apoA-IV is responsible for mediating the anorectic effect. We use a bacterial expression system to generate truncation mutants (Δ249-371, Δ117-371 and Δ1-61) of rat apoA-IV and assess the ability of various regions of the molecule to inhibit food intake. The results indicate that a responsible sequence exists within the N-terminal 61 amino acids of rat apoA-IV. Synthetic peptides (1-30 EVTSDQVANVMWDYFTQLSNNAKEAVEQLQ, 1-15 EVTSDQVANVMWDYF and 17-30 QLSNNAKEAVEQLQ) were used to specify the region in between residues 1 and 30. A 14-mer peptide (17-30) encompassing this sequence was capable of reducing food intake in a dose-dependent manner whereas a peptide designed on a more C-terminal region (211-232) of apoA-IV (QEKLNHQMEGLAFQMKKNAEEL) failed to exhibit the dose-dependent anorectic effect. The isolation of this sequence provides a valuable tool for future work directed at identifying apoA-IV binding proteins and is a key step for exploring the potential of therapeutic manipulation of food intake via this pathway.

ApoA-IV modulates the secretory trafficking of apoB and the size of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins

Although the evidence linking apoA-IV expression and triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoprotein assembly and secretion is compelling, the intracellular mechanisms by which apoA-IV could modulate these processes remain poorly understood. We therefore examined the functional impact of apoA-IV expression on endogenous apoB, TG, and VLDL secretion in stably transfected McA-RH7777 rat hepatoma cells. Expression of apoA-IV modified with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal KDEL (apoA-IV-KDEL) dramatically decreased both the rate and efficiency of endogenous apoB secretion, suggesting a presecretory interaction between apoA-IV-KDEL and apoB or apoB-containing lipoproteins. Expression of native apoA-IV using either a constitutive or tetracycline-inducible promoter delayed the initial rate of apoB secretion and reduced the final secretion efficiency by ∼40%. However, whereas apoA-IV-KDEL reduced TG secretion by 75%, expression of native apoA-IV caused a 20-35% increase in TG secretion, accompanied by a ∼55% increase in VLDL-associated apoB, an increase in the TG:phospholipid ratio of secreted d < 1.006 lipoproteins, and a 10.1 nm increase in peak VLDL(1) particle diameter. Native apoA-IV expression had a negligible impact on expression of the MTP gene. These data suggest that by interacting with apoB in the secretory pathway, apoA-IV alters the trafficking kinetics of apoB-containing TG-rich lipoproteins through cellular lipidation compartments, which in turn, enhances particle expansion and increases TG secretion.

Distinctive structure and interfacial activity of the human apolipoprotein A-IV 347S isoprotein

The T347S polymorphism in the human apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV gene is present at high frequencies among all the world's populations. Carriers of a 347S allele exhibit faster clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, greater adiposity, and increased risk for developing atherosclerosis, which suggests that this conservative amino acid substitution alters the structure of apo A-IV. Herein we have used spectroscopic and surface chemistry techniques to examine the structure, stability, and interfacial properties of the apo A-IV 347S isoprotein. Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that the 347S isoprotein has similar alpha-helical structure but lower thermodynamic stability than the 347T isoprotein. Fluorescence spectroscopy found that the 347S isoprotein exhibits an enhanced tyrosine emission and reduced tyrosine-->tryptophan energy transfer, and second derivative UV absorption spectra noted increased tyrosine exposure, suggesting that the 347S isoprotein adopts a looser tertiary conformation. Surface chemistry studies found that although the 347S isoprotein bound rapidly to the lipid interface, it has a lower interfacial exclusion pressure and lower elastic modulus than the 347T isoprotein. Together, these observations establish that the T347S substitution alters the conformation of apo A-IV and lowers its interfacial activity-changes that could account for the effect of this polymorphism on postprandial lipid metabolism.

Structural and dynamic interfacial properties of the lipoprotein initiating domain of apolipoprotein B

To better understand the earliest steps in the assembly of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins, we compared the biophysical and interfacial properties of two closely related apolipoprotein B (apoB) truncation mutants, one of which contains the complete lipoprotein initiating domain (apoB20.1; residues 1-912), and one of which, by virtue of a 50 amino acid C-terminal truncation, is incapable of forming nascent lipoproteins (apoB19; residues 1-862). Spectroscopic studies detected no major differences in secondary structure, and only minor differences in conformation and thermodynamic stability, between the two truncation mutants. Monolayer studies revealed that both apoB19 and apoB20.1 bound to and penetrated egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) monolayers; however, the interfacial exclusion pressure of apoB20.1 was higher than apoB19 (25.1 mN/m vs. 22.8 mN/m). Oil drop tensiometry revealed that both proteins bound rapidly to the hydrophobic triolein/water interface, reducing interfacial tension by approximately 20 mN/m. However, when triolein drops were first coated with phospholipids (PL), apoB20.1 bound with faster kinetics than apoB19 and also displayed greater interfacial elasticity (26.9 +/- 0.8 mN/m vs. 22.9 +/- 0.8 mN/m). These data establish that the transition of apoB to assembly competence is accompanied by increases in surface activity and elasticity, but not by significant changes in global structure.

Overexpression of apolipoprotein A-IV enhances lipid secretion in IPEC-1 cells by increasing chylomicron size

Intestinal apolipoprotein A-IV expression is highly regulated by dietary lipid in newborn swine, suggesting a role in lipid absorption. Constitutive overexpression of apoA-IV in newborn swine enterocytes enhances basolateral secretion of triacylglycerol (TG) in TG-rich lipoproteins 4.9-fold (Lu, S., Yao, Y., Meng, S., Cheng, X., and Black, D. D. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 31929-31937). To investigate the mechanism of this enhancement, IPEC-1 cells were transfected with a tetracycline-regulatable expression system (Tet-On). In cells incubated with oleic acid, a dose response relationship was observed between medium doxycycline concentration and basolateral apoA-IV and TG secretion. Similarly regulated expression of apoA-I did not enhance lipid secretion. The mean diameter of TG-rich lipoproteins secreted from doxycycline-treated cells was larger than from untreated cells (87.0 nm versus 53.4 nm). Basolateral apoB secretion decreased. Using the same expression system, full-length human apoA-IV (376 amino acids); a "pig-like" human apoA-IV, lacking the C-terminal EQQQ repeats (361 amino acids); and a "chicken-like" apoA-IV, further truncated to 343 amino acids, were expressed in IPEC-1 cells. With increasing protein secretion, cells expressing the full-length human apoA-IV displayed a 2-fold increase in TG secretion; in sharp contrast, cells expressing the pig-like human apoA-IV displayed a 25-fold increase in TG secretion and a 27-fold increase in lipoprotein diameter. When human apoA-IV was further truncated to yield a chicken-like protein, TG secretion was inhibited. We conclude that overexpression of swine apoA-IV enhances basolateral TG secretion in a dose-dependent manner by increasing the size of secreted lipoproteins. These data suggest that the region in the human apoA-IV protein from residues 344 to 354 is critical to its ability to enhance lipid secretion, perhaps by enabling the packaging of additional core TG into chylomicron particles. The EQQQ-rich region may play an inhibitory or modulatory role in chylomicron packaging in humans.

Bacterial expression and characterization of rat apolipoprotein E

Apolipoprotein (apo) E is a protein involved in both lipid metabolism and neuroprotection. Recently, it has been suggested that apoE may play a role in the regulation of food intake and body weight in rodents. However, rodent plasma apoE is difficult to purify in reasonable amounts due to numerous time-consuming steps. To circumvent this, we created a bacterial expression system for the efficient production of large amounts of rat apoE. We inserted rat apoE DNA into the pET30 expression vector and overexpressed the proteins in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3). A histidine tag present at the N-terminus allowed for easy purification of the recombinant protein. The tag was removed with an IgA protease (Igase) from Neisseria gonorrhoeae leaving the mature form of the protein. The use of Igase was important as several more common proteases routinely cleave apolipoproteins at undesired sites. The recombinant protein was then compared both structurally and functionally to rat plasma apoE. This expression system will be highly useful for probing the ability of rat apoE to mediate food intake in rats.

Specific Sequences in the N and C Termini of Apolipoprotein A-IV Modulate Its Conformation and Lipid Association

Apolipoprotein (apoA-IV) is a 376-residue exchangeable apolipoprotein that may play a number of important roles in lipid metabolism, including chylomicron assembly, reverse cholesterol transport, and appetite regulation. In vivo, apoA-IV exists in both lipid-poor and lipid-associated forms, and the balance between these states may determine its function. We examined the structural elements that modulate apoA-IV lipid binding by producing a series of deletion mutants and determining their ability to interact with phospholipid liposomes. We found that the deletion of residues 333-343 strongly increased the lipid association rate versus native apoA-IV. Additional mutagenesis revealed that two phenylalanine residues at positions 334 and 335 mediated this lipid binding inhibitory effect. We also observed that residues 11-20 in the N terminus were required for the enhanced lipid affinity induced by deletion of the C-terminal sequence. We propose a structural model in which these sequences can modulate the conformation and lipid affinity of apoA-IV.

apoA-IV tagged with the ER retention signal KDEL perturbs the intracellular trafficking and secretion of apoB

To examine the role of apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV) in the intracellular trafficking and secretion of apoB, COS cells were cotransfected with microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), apoB-41 (amino terminal 41% of apoB), and either native apoA-IV or apoA-IV modified with the carboxy-terminal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal, KDEL (apoA-IV-KDEL). As expected, apoA-IV-KDEL was inefficiently secreted relative to native apoA-IV. Coexpression of apoB-41 with apoA-IV-KDEL reduced the secretion of apoB-41 by approximately 80%. The apoA-IV-KDEL effect was specific, as neither KDEL-modified forms of human serum albumin or apoA-I affected apoB-41 secretion. Similar results were observed in McA-RH7777 rat hepatoma cells, which express endogenous MTP. The full inhibitory effect of apoA-IV-KDEL on apoB secretion was observed only for forms of apoB containing a minimum of the amino-terminal 25% of the protein (apoB-25). However, apoA-IV-KDEL inhibited the secretion of both lipid-associated and lipid-poor forms of apoB-25. Dual-label immunofluorescence microscopy of cells transfected with native apoA-IV and apoB-25 revealed that both apolipoproteins were localized to the ER and Golgi, as expected. However, when apoA-IV-KDEL was cotransfected with apoB-25, both proteins localized primarily to the ER. These data suggest that apoA-IV may physically interact with apoB in the secretory pathway, perhaps reflecting a role in modulating the process of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein assembly and secretion.

Cloning, characterization and comparative analysis of pig plasma apolipoprotein A-IV

Pig apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV cDNA was cloned, characterized and compared to the human ortholog. Mature porcine apo A-IV consists of 362 amino acids and displays a 75.6% sequence identity with human protein. Pig apo A-IV is the smallest reported mammalian apo A-IV because it lacks the repeated motifs of glutamine and glutamic acid at the carboxyl terminus. A phylogenic tree of apo A-IV mammalian proteins reveals that porcine apo A-IV is more closely related to humans and primates than to rodents. This protein is highly hydrophobic and is mainly associated with lipoproteins.

Apolipoprotein A5, a newly identified gene that affects plasma triglyceride levels in humans and mice

Apolipoprotein A5 (APOA5) is a newly described member of the apolipoprotein gene family whose initial discovery arose from comparative sequence analysis of the mammalian APOA1/C3/A4 gene cluster. Functional studies in mice indicated that alteration in the level of APOA5 significantly affected plasma triglyceride concentrations. Mice that overexpressed human APOA5 displayed significantly reduced triglycerides, whereas mice that lacked apoa5 had a large increase in this lipid parameter. Studies in humans have also suggested an important role for APOA5 in determining plasma triglyceride concentrations. In these experiments, polymorphisms in the human gene were found to define several common haplotypes that were associated with significant changes in triglyceride concentrations in multiple populations. Several separate clinical studies have provided consistent and strong support for the effect with 24% of whites, 35% of blacks, and 53% of Hispanics who carry APOA5 haplotypes associated with increased plasma triglyceride levels. In summary, APOA5 represents a newly discovered gene involved in triglyceride metabolism in both humans and mice whose mechanism of action remains to be deciphered.

Interfacial exclusion pressure determines the ability of apolipoprotein A-IV truncation mutants to activate cholesterol ester transfer protein

We used a panel of recombinant human apolipoprotein (apo) A-IV truncation mutants, in which pairs of 22-mer alpha-helices were sequentially deleted along the primary sequence, to examine the impact of protein structure and interfacial activity on the ability of apoA-IV to activate cholesterol ester transfer protein. Circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the secondary structure, conformation, and molecular stability of recombinant human apoA-IV were identical to the native protein. However, deletion of any of the alpha-helical domains in apoA-IV disrupted its tertiary structure and impaired its molecular stability. Surprisingly, determination of the water/phospholipid interfacial exclusion pressure of the apoA-IV truncation mutants revealed that, for most, deletion of amphipathic alpha-helical domains increased their affinity for phospholipid monolayers. All of the truncation mutants activated the transfer of fluorescent-labeled cholesterol esters between high and low density lipoproteins at a rate higher than native apoA-IV. There was a strong positive correlation (r = 0.790, p = 0.002) between the rate constant for cholesterol ester transfer and interfacial exclusion pressure. We conclude that molecular interfacial exclusion pressure, rather than specific helical domains, determines the degree to which apoA-IV, and likely other apolipoproteins, facilitate cholesterol ester transfer protein-mediated lipid exchange.

Apolipoprotein A-IV polymorphisms and diet-gene interactions

Apolipoprotein A-IV is a 46kDa glycoprotein that is synthesized by intestinal enterocytes and is incorporated into the surface of nascent chylomicrons. Considerable evidence suggests that apolipoprotein A-IV plays a role in intestinal lipid absorption and chylomicron assembly. We have proposed that polymorphisms that alter the interfacial behavior of apolipoprotein A-IV may modulate the physical properties and metabolic fate of plasma chylomicrons. Of the reported genetic polymorphisms of apolipoprotein A-IV, two, Q360H and T347S, are known to occur at high frequencies among the world populations. Biophysical studies have established that the Q360H isoprotein displays higher lipid affinity; conversely the T347S isoprotein is predicted to be less lipid avid. Recent studies have shown that the Q360H polymorphism is associated with increased postprandial hypertriglyceridemia, a reduced low-density lipoprotein response to dietary cholesterol in the setting of a moderate fat intake, an increased high-density lipoprotein response to changes in total dietary fat content, and lower body mass and adiposity; the T347S polymorphism appears to confer the opposite effects. Studies on the diet-gene interactions of other apolipoprotein A-IV alleles are needed, as are studies on the interactions between apolipoprotein A-IV alleles and other apolipoprotein polymorphisms.