2010/03/03

Novel properties of LDL atherogenic particles uncovered by NMR

A team of researchers from CIC bioGUNE and the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, in Barcelona, have measured 2D-NMR spectra of the surface-exposed lysine residues of the apoB-100 protein in both LDL(-) and LDL(+) subfractions. The differences found between LDL(+) and LDL(-) are indicative of a distinct conformation of apoB-100 that could be related to loss of affinity for the LDL receptor and for their atherogenic properties.