Midterm No. 3, Opus 2 Flashcards
(100 cards)
What enzyme is the rate limiter for the cholesterol synthesis pathway?
HMG-CoA
How does cholesterol move through the bloodstream?
HDL and LDL particles are solubilized by ApoA and ApoB respectively, then bound by carrier proteins to travel through the bloodstream
What protein binds and solubilizes LDL particles?
ApoB
What protein binds and solubilizes HDL particles?
ApoA
What makes up the apolar interior core of an LDL particle?
Cholesteryl ester
What makes up the polar surface of an LDL particle?
Phospholipids and unesterified cholesterol
pH of early sorting endosomes
5.9 - 6.0
pH of late endosomes
5.0 - 6.0
pH of lysosomes
4.0 - 5.0
pH of endocytic recycling compartments
6.4 - 6.5
What is the function of endocytic recycling compartments?
They recycle plasma membrane proteins back to the cell surface
What did Goldstein and Brown initially find in their studies on the genetics behind familial hypercholesterolemia?
They initially found the cause to be a single (autosomal dominant) gene mutation. They saw that both homozygous and heterozygous individuals with this mutation had the hypercholesterolemia phenotypes
Describe Goldstein and Brown’s experimental technique to study the genetics of familial hypercholesterolemia
Isolated and cultured patients’ cells
They generated LDL particles with radioactive 125I-tyrosine (I for iodine)
They did a pulse-chase at with the radioactive tyrosine in the patients’ cell cultures
The first part of the pulse-chase was done at 4 degrees C
Then they raised the temp to 37 degrees C
Why did Goldstein and Brown start their pulse-chase at 4 degrees C?
Because at that temp binding still happens, but energy-dependent process don’t occur.
Why did Goldstein and Brown include warming as part of their pulse-chase experiment?
At the low temp binding occurred, but no energy dependent processes happen
The slow warming allows them to get a better look at the endocytosis processes
What did Goldstein and Brown observe for their normal cell cultures (no hypercholesterolemia) in their initial pulse-chase experiments?
They saw high binding of the LDL particles at the beginning As the cells warmed more and more particles were internalized to endosomes, and eventually degraded in lysosomes
Goldstein and Brown’s proposed pathway of LDL particle endocytosis, for normal people
LDL particles are bound to receptors on the cell surface
Bound LDL particles enter a coated vesicle, vesicle eventually fuses with an endosome
In the endosome the cell surface receptors and LDL particles unbind, release
The now free cell surface receptors enter a recycling vesicle, to be recycled back to the cell surface
The endosome containing the LDL particles matures into a lysosome, and the LDL particles are eventually degraded
Individual cholesterol molecules are released from the lysosome, cell cholesterol levels subsequently rise
Droplets of cholesterol ester form in the cell
HMG CoA reductase is downregulated in response to the elevated cholesterol levels
LDL cell surface receptors are also downregulated in response to the elevated cholesterol levels
What cellular response(s) do normal people have for increased cellular cholesterol levels?
Downregulation of HMG CoA reductase and LDL cell surface receptors
Where does the downregulation information happen (in response to elevated cellular cholesterol levels)?
Happens in the ER
What was JD’s specific hypercholesterolemia phenotype?
His cells did bind to LDL, but not was well as normal patients, and what did bind wasn’t internalized
What caused JD’s funky hypercholesterolemia phenotype?
He had two different, equally crummy alleles
Mom was heterozygous, her cells bound to only 1/2 as many LDL particles as normal
Dad was also heterozygous, less than half of his bound LDL particles were internalized
What did Goldstein and Brown ultimately find as the cause(s) of familial hypercholesterolemia?
4 offending allele classes
1) mutation blocking LDL receptor synthesis
2) mutation blocking the LDL receptor’s transport form the ER to the golgi
3) mutation in the LDL receptor preventing the LDL particles from binding
4) mutation causing the LDL receptors to cluster in coated pits
What are coated pits?
Early formation phase of coated vesicles, on the cell surface
What are LAMPs?
Lysosomal membrane proteins