Journal of Lipid Research, Vol 30, 109-120, Copyright © 1989 by Lipid Research, Inc.
Apolipoprotein B-100 of plasma low density lipoproteins undergoes proteolysis by contact activation factors when plasma is treated with dextran sulfate-500-MgCl2
RE Byrne and AM Scanu
Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, IL 60637.
Human plasma low density lipoproteins (LDL) isolated by ultracentrifugation
showed a single band corresponding to apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB-100) by
SDS-gradient gel electrophoresis (GGE). In turn, apoB-100 of LDL
precipitated from plasma by dextran sulfate-500 (DS)-MgCl2 exhibited
several bands indicative of a degradative process. The degradation was more
extensive at 0 degrees C than at either 23 degrees C or 37 degrees C, and
appeared to be related to a protease activity that cleaved both the
synthetic peptide, Z-Phe- Arg-7-amido-4-methylcoumarin (Z-Phe-Arg-AMC) and
apoB-100. Proteolysis was proportional to the DS added to the plasma, was
prevented by the kallikrein inhibitor, D-Phe-L-Phe-L-Arg-CHCl2, and was
significantly decreased in plasma specimens of patients with either factor
XII or prekalikrein deficiency. LDL pre-purified by ultracentrifugation and
then precipitated by DS in the absence of plasma exhibited no proteolysis.
However, proteolysis was observed when LDL interacted with kallikrein. The
two main apolipoproteins of HDL3, apoA-I and apoA-II, were not affected by
this proteolytic process. We interpret the results to indicate that the
negatively charged surface provided by DS accelerates in plasma the
autoactivation of factor XII and the activation of prekallikrein, resulting
in an increase of the effective concentration of kallikrein and possibly
other proteases and proteolysis of LDL-apoB-100. The higher degree of the
DS-induced proteolysis of apoB-100 at 0 degrees C than at 23 degrees C is
likely the consequence of enhanced autoactivation of factor XII and a
decreased efficiency of plasma inhibitors, such as C1-inhibitor. We
speculate that the proteolysis of apoB-100 induced by DS is not limited to
this polyanion, but may also be the property of other negatively charged
agents, particularly at cold temperatures.