The transport of cholesterol from NPC2 to NPC1 is essential for the maintenance of cholesterol homeostasis in late endosomes. On the basis of a rigid docking model of the crystal structures of the N-terminal cholesterol binding domain of NPC1(NTD) and the soluble NPC2 protein, models of the NPC1(NTD)-NPC2-cholesterol complexes at the beginning and the end of the transport as well as the unligated NPC1(NTD)-NPC2 complex were studied using 86 ns MD simulations. Significant differences in the cholesterol binding mode and the overall structure of the two proteins compared to the crystal structures of the cholesterol binding separate units were obtained. Relevant residues for the binding are identified using MM/GBSA calculations and the influence of the mutations analyzed by modeling them in silico, rationalizing the results of previous mutagenesis experiments. From the calculated energies and the NEB (nudged elastic band) evaluation of the cholesterol transfer mechanism, an atomistic model is proposed of the transfer of cholesterol from NPC2 to NPC1(NTD) through the formation of an intermediate NPC1(NTD)-NPC2 complex.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/bi4005478 | DOI Listing |
JACC Basic Transl Sci
December 2024
Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
JACC Basic Transl Sci
December 2024
Division of Cardiology, Departments of Internal Medicine Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China.
We describe a previously uncharacterized ATP-binding cassette A1 super enhancer RNA (ABCA1-seRNA)-mediated cholesterol efflux. In addition, it promoted macrophage inflammatory cytokine release, and was causally correlated with coronary artery disease severity. Mechanistically, ABCA1-seRNA upregulated cholesterol efflux by interacting with mediator complex subunit 23 and recruiting retinoid X receptor-alpha and liver X receptor-alpha to promote ABCA1 transcription in a manner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLiver Int
February 2025
Department of Occupational Health and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Background: Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), previously defined as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), has been shown to be closely related to many environmental pollutants. Lately, we found methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), a new environmental pollutant, could increase NAFLD risk in American adults, which still needs more population epidemiological studies to verify, and its pathogenic mechanism is not yet clear.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among petrol station workers, diagnosed their MAFLD according to internationally recognised diagnostic criteria, assessed the potential association of MTBE exposure with MAFLD risk, and explored the miR-18a-5p/PXR/SREBP2 pathway as possible pathogenic mechanisms in male Wistar rats and HepaRG cells treated with MTBE.
Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol
January 2025
Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104.
Bile acid sequestrants such as cholestyramine (ChTM) are gut-restricted bile acid binding resins that block intestine bile acid absorption and attenuate hepatic bile acid signaling. Bile acid sequestrants induce hepatic bile acid synthesis to promote cholesterol catabolism and are cholesterol lowering drugs. Bile acid sequestrants also reduce blood glucose in clinical trials and are approved drugs for treating hyperglycemia in type-2 diabetes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLangmuir
January 2025
School of Chemical Engineering and Translational Nanobioscience Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
Alkylphospholipids are single-chain lipid amphiphiles that possess clinically relevant biological activities driven by membrane-destabilizing interactions. Subtle variations in alkylphospholipid structure can lead to significant differences in their biological effects, yet corresponding membrane interactions remain underexplored. Herein, we employed the quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D) technique to characterize the real-time membrane interactions of three alkylphospholipids-edelfosine, miltefosine, and perifosine-on supported lipid bilayers with varying cholesterol fractions.
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