Wenbin Zhong1, Guoping Pan1, Lin Wang1, Shiqian Li, Jingsong Ou, Mengyang Xu, Jiwei Li, Biying Zhu, Xiuye Cao, Hongling Ma, Chaowen Li, Jun Xu, Vesa M Olkkonen, Bart Staels, Daoguang Yan. 1. From the Key Laboratory of Functional Protein Research of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China (W.Z., G.P., L.W., J.L., B.Z., X.C., H.M., C.L., D.Y.); Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, Biomedicum 2U, Helsinki, Finland (S.L., V.M.O.); Division of Cardiac Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital (J.O.) and Research Center for Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (M.X., J.X.); and U1011 Inserm, EGID, Université Lille, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, France (B.S.).
Abstract
RATIONALE: Macrophage survival within the arterial wall is a central factor contributing to atherogenesis. Oxysterols, major components of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, exert cytotoxic effects on macrophages. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 4 L (ORP4L), an oxysterol-binding protein, affects macrophage survival and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: By hiring cell biological approaches and ORP4L-/- mice, we show that ORP4L coexpresses with and forms a complex with Gαq/11 and phospholipase C (PLC)-β3 in macrophages. ORP4L facilitates G-protein-coupled ligand-induced PLCβ3 activation, IP3 production, and Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Through this mechanism, ORP4L sustains antiapoptotic Bcl-XL expression through Ca2+-mediated c-AMP responsive element binding protein transcriptional regulation and thus protects macrophages from apoptosis. Excessive stimulation with the oxysterol 25-hydroxycholesterol disassembles the ORP4L/Gαq/11/PLCβ3 complexes, resulting in reduced PLCβ3 activity, IP3 production, and Ca2+ release, as well as decreased Bcl-XL expression and increased apoptosis. Overexpression of ORP4L counteracts these oxysterol-induced defects. Mice lacking ORP4L exhibit increased apoptosis of macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions and a reduced lesion size. CONCLUSIONS: ORP4L is crucial for macrophage survival. It counteracts the cytotoxicity of oxysterols/oxidized low-density lipoprotein to protect macrophage from apoptosis, thus playing an important role in the development of atherosclerosis.
RATIONALE: Macrophage survival within the arterial wall is a central factor contributing to atherogenesis. Oxysterols, major components of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, exert cytotoxic effects on macrophages. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether oxysterol-binding protein-related protein 4 L (ORP4L), an oxysterol-binding protein, affects macrophage survival and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: By hiring cell biological approaches and ORP4L-/- mice, we show that ORP4L coexpresses with and forms a complex with Gαq/11 and phospholipase C (PLC)-β3 in macrophages. ORP4L facilitates G-protein-coupled ligand-induced PLCβ3 activation, IP3 production, and Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Through this mechanism, ORP4L sustains antiapoptotic Bcl-XL expression through Ca2+-mediated c-AMP responsive element binding protein transcriptional regulation and thus protects macrophages from apoptosis. Excessive stimulation with the oxysterol25-hydroxycholesterol disassembles the ORP4L/Gαq/11/PLCβ3 complexes, resulting in reduced PLCβ3 activity, IP3 production, and Ca2+ release, as well as decreased Bcl-XL expression and increased apoptosis. Overexpression of ORP4L counteracts these oxysterol-induced defects. Mice lacking ORP4L exhibit increased apoptosis of macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions and a reduced lesion size. CONCLUSIONS: ORP4L is crucial for macrophage survival. It counteracts the cytotoxicity of oxysterols/oxidized low-density lipoprotein to protect macrophage from apoptosis, thus playing an important role in the development of atherosclerosis.