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How cholesteryl ester transfer protein can also be a potential triglyceride transporter
Venkat Reddy Chirasani,
Published in Nature Publishing Group
2017
PMID: 28733595
Volume: 7
   
Issue: 1
Abstract
CETP transfers cholesteryl esters (CEs) and triglycerides (TGs) between different lipoproteins and came in limelight as a drug-target against CVD. In the search for detailed mechanism of lipid transfer through CETP, enormous effort is devoted employing crystallographic, cryo-EM, and Molecular Dynamics (MD) studies. However, these studies primarily focused on CE-bound CETP structure and CE transfer mechanism. With the reported correlation that CETP looses significant CE transfer activity upon inhibiting TG transfer, it is of tremendous importance to understand the structure and dynamics of TG-bound CETP. Our results from large-scale all-atom and coarse-grained MD simulations show that CETP can accommodate two TG molecules in parallel N-N orientation with TG oleate chains majorly attaining the tuning-fork conformation. In TG-bound form, CETP not only maintained its secondary structures but also exhibited similar bending-twisting motions as reported for CE-CETP crystal structure. Obtained structural information are further validated by correlating to available functional data of 2-8 fold slower transfer rate of TG through CETP, where we show that TGs make 20% additional contacts with CETP compared to CEs. Identified CETP residues facilitating TG binding also match very well with reported mutagenesis data. The study could accelerate the drug-designing processes to combat CETP functionality and CVD. © 2017 The Author(s).
About the journal
JournalScientific Reports
PublisherNature Publishing Group
ISSN20452322
Open AccessYes
Concepts (21)
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    CETP PROTEIN, HUMAN
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    Cholesterol ester
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    CHOLESTEROL ESTER TRANSFER PROTEIN
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    Triacylglycerol
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    Chemistry
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    Human
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    Metabolism
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    Molecular dynamics
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    Molecular model
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    Protein secondary structure
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    Transport at the cellular level
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    X ray crystallography
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    Biological transport
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    CHOLESTEROL ESTER TRANSFER PROTEINS
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    CHOLESTEROL ESTERS
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    Crystallography, x-ray
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    Humans
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    Models, molecular
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    Molecular dynamics simulation
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    Protein structure, secondary
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    Triglycerides