Thermodynamic and Kinetic Stability of Discoidal High-Density Lipoprotein Formation from Phosphatidylcholine/Apolipoprotein A-I Mixture

(r)HDL in theranostics: how do we apply HDL's biology for precision medicine in atherosclerosis management?

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are key players in cholesterol metabolism homeostasis since they are responsible for transporting excess cholesterol from peripheral tissues to the liver. Imbalance in this process, due to either excessive accumulation or impaired clearance, results in net cholesterol accumulation and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, significant effort has been focused on the development of therapeutic tools capable of either directly or indirectly enhancing HDL-guided reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). More recently, in light of the emergence of precision nanomedicine, there has been renewed research interest in attempting to take advantage of the development of advanced recombinant HDL (rHDL) for both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. In this review, we provide an update on the different approaches that have been developed using rHDL, focusing on the rHDL production methodology and rHDL applications in theranostics. We also compile a series of examples highlighting potential future perspectives in the field.

Interaction of lipid-free apolipoprotein A-I with cholesterol revealed by molecular modeling

We report the modeling of the interaction of differently self-associated lipid-free apoA-I with cholesterol monomer and tail-to-tail (TT) or face-to-face (FF) cholesterol dimer. Cholesterol dimerization is exploited to reconcile the existing experimental data on cholesterol binding to apoA-I with extremely low critical micelle concentration of cholesterol. Two crystal structures of 1-43 N-truncated apolipoprotein Δ(1-43)A-I tetramer (PDB ID: 1AV1, structure B), 185-243 C-truncated apolipoprotein Δ(185-243)A-I dimer (PDB ID: 3R2P, structure M) were analyzed. Cholesterol monomers bind to multiple binding sites in apoA-I monomer, dimer and tetramer with low, moderate and high energy (-10 to -28 kJ/mol with Schrödinger package), still insufficient to overcome the thermodynamic restriction by cholesterol micellization (-52.8 kJ/mol). The binding sites partially coincide with the putative cholesterol-binding motifs. However, apoA-I monomer and dimer existing in structure B, that contain nonoverlapping and non-interacting pairs of binding sites with high affinity for TT and FF cholesterol dimers, can bind in common 14 cholesterol molecules that correspond to existing values. ApoA-I monomer and dimer in structure M can bind in common 6 cholesterol molecules. The values of respective total energy of cholesterol binding up to 64.5 and 67.0 kJ/mol for both B and M structures exceed the free energy of cholesterol micellization. We hypothesize that cholesterol dimers may simultaneously interact with extracellular monomer and dimer of lipid-free apoA-I, that accumulate at acid pH in atheroma. The thermodynamically allowed apolipoprotein-cholesterol interaction outside the macrophage may represent a new mechanism of cholesterol transport by apoA-I from atheroma, in addition to ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux.

Conformational Changes in High-Density Lipoprotein Nanoparticles Induced by High Payloads of Paramagnetic Lipids

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) nanoparticles doped with gadolinium lipids can be used as magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic agents for atherosclerosis. In this study, HDL nanoparticles with different molar fractions of gadolinium lipids (0 < x_Gd-lipids < 0.33) were prepared, and the MR relaxivity values (r1 and r2) for all compositions were measured. Both r1 and r2 parameters reached a maximal value at a molar fraction of approximately x_Gd-lipids = 0.2. Higher payloads of gadolinium did not significantly increase relaxivity values but induced changes in the structure of HDL, increasing the size of the particles from d_H = 8.2 ± 1.6 to 51.7 ± 7.3 nm. High payloads of gadolinium lipids trigger conformational changes in HDL, with potential effects on the in vivo behavior of the nanoparticles.

Caveolin-1 facilitates internalization and degradation of ABCA1 and probucol oxidative products interfere with this reaction to increase HDL biogenesis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Expression of ATP binding cassette transporter (ABC) A1, a key membrane protein for biogenesis of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is regulated not only by its gene transcription but also by its intracellular degradation to modulate plasma HDL concentration. We previously showed that inhibition of ABCA1 degradation by probucol oxidative products, spiroquinone (SQ) and diphenoquinone (DQ), increased HDL biogenesis and reverse cholesterol transport, and achieved reduction of atherosclerosis in animal models. The background mechanism has thus been investigated.

METHODS

Involvement of caveolin-1, a protein of multiple functions in cell biology, particularly in cholesterol trafficking, has been examined for its roles in ABCA1 degradation as well as the effects of SQ and DQ on the reaction.

RESULTS

ABCA1 protein was increased in caveolin-1-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts, not by increase of transcription but by decrease in its internalization and degradation. Transfection and expression of caveolin-1 normalized the protein level and the rate of degradation of ABCA1. Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated association between ABCA1 and caveolin-1 and SQ and DQ disrupted this interaction. The effects of SQ and DQ to increase ABCA1 and cell cholesterol release induced by apolipoprotein A-I were dependent on expression of caveolin-1. Fluorescence imaging of ABCA1 and caveolin-1 in cultured cells demonstrated their co-localization as well as its disruption by SQ and DQ, being consistent with the biochemical findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Caveolin-1 enhances internalization and degradation of ABCA1 by its association with ABCA1. Interference of this interaction by probucol oxidative products suppresses ABCA1 degradation and increase HDL biogenesis.

Formation of size-controlled, denaturation-resistant lipid nanodiscs by an amphiphilic self-polymerizing peptide

Nanodiscs are discoidal particles with a planar phospholipid bilayer enwrapped by proteins such as apolipoprotein A-I. Nanodiscs have been widely used for analyzing structures and functions of membrane proteins by dispersing them in solution. They are expected to be used as drug carriers and therapeutic agents. Amphiphilic peptides are known to form nanodiscs. However, the lipid-peptide nanodiscs are relatively unstable in solution, making them unsuitable for many applications. Here, we report the synthesis of an amphiphilic self-polymerizing peptide termed ASPP1, which polymerizes by intermolecular native chemical ligation reactions. ASPP1 spontaneously formed nanodiscs when added to phospholipid vesicles without using detergents. The diameter of the planar lipid bilayer in the nanodiscs was controlled by the lipid:peptide molar ratio. ASPP1-nanodiscs exhibited greater stability at high temperatures or in the presence of urea than nanodiscs formed by the non-polymerizing amphiphilic peptide or apolipoprotein A-I. Average and maximal degrees of ASPP1 polymerization were 2.4 and 12, respectively. Self-polymerization of the peptide appears to be responsible for stabilization of the nanodiscs. Our results open a new avenue for the development of nanodisc technology.

High-Density Lipoproteins for Therapeutic Delivery Systems

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are a class of natural nanostructures found in the blood and are composed of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids (e.g. microRNA). Their size, which appears to be well-suited for both tissue penetration/retention as well as payload delivery, long circulation half-life, avoidance of endosomal sequestration, and potential low toxicity are all excellent properties to model in a drug delivery vehicle. In this review, we consider high-density lipoproteins for therapeutic delivery systems. First we discuss the structure and function of natural HDL, describing in detail its biogenesis and transformation from immature, discoidal forms, to more mature, spherical forms. Next we consider features of HDL making them suitable vehicles for drug delivery. We then describe the use of natural HDL, discoidal HDL analogs, and spherical HDL analogs to deliver various classes of drugs, including small molecules, lipids, and oligonucleotides. We briefly consider the notion that the drug delivery vehicles themselves are therapeutic, constituting entities that exhibit "theralivery." Finally, we discuss challenges and future directions in the field.

Preferential incorporation of shorter and less unsaturated acyl phospholipids into high density lipoprotein-like particles in the ABCA1- and ABCA7-mediated biogenesis with apoA-I

Molecular species of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SPM) were globally analyzed for lipidomics in the nascent high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-like particles generated with human apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) form HEK293 cells where either human ATP binding cassette transporter (ABC) A1 or ABCA7 was transfected and overexpressed. SPM/PC ratio was higher in the ABCA1-mediated HDL than ABCA7-mediated HDL likely being related to their cholesterol content, while it was less than the ratio in the cell membrane in either case. Molecular species composition of hydrocarbon chain moiety in each phospholipid in the HDL largely reflected that in the cells the lipoprotein originated in, without remarkable difference between ABCA1 and ABCA7. Further analysis, however, revealed apparent preference for the molecules with shorter hydrocarbon chain length for both PC and SPM in their relative incorporation into HDL by ABCA1 and ABCA7. Likewise, it was in favor for less-unsaturated hydrocarbon chains of PC while this preference was not apparent for SPM. The results are consistent with the view that assembly of HDL particles with extracellular apoA-I is primarily with the cellular phospholipid molecules being regulated in part by their physicochemical nature.

Reconstituted lipoprotein: a versatile class of biologically-inspired nanostructures

One of biology's most pervasive nanostructures, the phospholipid membrane, represents an ideal scaffold for a host of nanotechnology applications. Whether engineering biomimetic technologies or designing therapies to interface with the cell, this adaptable membrane can provide the necessary molecular-level control of membrane-anchored proteins, glycopeptides, and glycolipids. If appropriately prepared, these components can replicate in vitro or influence in vivo essential living processes such as signal transduction, mass transport, and chemical or energy conversion. To satisfy these requirements, a lipid-based, synthetic nanoscale architecture with molecular-level tunability is needed. In this regard, discrete lipid particles, including reconstituted high density lipoprotein (HDL), have emerged as a versatile and elegant solution. Structurally diverse, native biological HDLs exist as discoidal lipid bilayers of 5-8 nm diameter and lipid monolayer-coated spheres 10-15 nm in diameter, all belted by a robust scaffolding protein. These supramolecular assemblies can be reconstituted using simple self-assembly methods to incorporate a broad range of amphipathic molecular constituents, natural or artificial, and provide a generic platform for stabilization and transport of amphipathic and hydrophobic elements capable of docking with targets at biological or inorganic surfaces. In conjunction with top-down or bottom-up engineering approaches, synthetic HDL can be designed, arrayed, and manipulated for a host of applications including biochemical analyses and fundamental studies of molecular structure. Also highly biocompatible, these assemblies are suitable for medical diagnostics and therapeutics. The collection of efforts reviewed here focuses on laboratory methods by which synthetic HDLs are produced, the advantages conferred by their nanoscopic dimension, and current and emerging applications.