Structural investigation of reconstituted high density lipoproteins by scanning tunnelling microscopy

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 230; no. 1; pp. 151 - 157
• Main Authors: Culot, C, Durant, F, Lazarescu, S, Thiry, P.A, Vanloo, B, Rosseneu, M.Y, Lins, L, Brasseur, R
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 31.05.2004; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biochemistry, biophysics & molecular biology; Biochimie, biophysique & biologie moléculaire; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Life sciences; Lipoproteins; Molecular imaging; Molecular modeling; Physics; Sciences du vivant; STM; 87.15.By; Molecular imaging; Lipoproteins; Molecular modeling; 61.61.Ch; 87.15.Da; STM; Scanning tunneling microscopy; 87.15.Da STM; Molecular structure; Imaging; Macromolecules; Modelling
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2004.02.064

Being able to participate in the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), high density lipoproteins (HDL) are known to be anti-atherogenic. In order to understand such a process, it is thus essential to have a detailed knowledge of the structure and molecular organisation of HDL. Reconstituted nascent high density lipoproteins (r-HDL), consisting of synthetic phospholipids together with different apolipoproteins (apo A-I, A-IV and E), were thus analysed by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). Both shape and dimensions of the discoidal HDL particles measured by this technique were found in good agreement with the data available from the literature. The accuracy of the STM pictures presented in this paper enables for the first time the visualisation of the molecular organisation of such macromolecules. The arrangement of the protein as antiparallel helical segments, is consistent with the general mode of organisation of apolipoprotein/phospholipid discoidal particles previously reported.