Comparison of apolipoprotein C-II-deficient triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins and trioleoylglycerol/phosphatidylcholine-stabilized particles as substrates for lipoprotein lipase.

The effect of apolipoproteins C-II and C-III on the lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of apolipoprotein C-II-deficient triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins and particles of trioleoylglycerol stabilized with a phosphatidylcholine monolayer was investigated. For both triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins and artificial lipid particles, maximal lipoprotein lipase activity occurred at a constant apolipoprotein C-II/phospholipid mol ratio of 2.0 X 10(-4) and was independent of particle size, indicating that the amount of apolipoprotein C-II bound to the surface of the substrate is important for enzyme activation. The effect of apolipoprotein C-II on lipoprotein lipase activity with apolipoprotein C-II-deficient lipoproteins as substrate was to decrease the apparent Michaelis constant (Kmapp) from 7.1 to 1.0 mM with minor changes on the apparent maximal velocity (Vmax) (22.2 mmol free fatty acid released/h per mg enzyme). In contrast, apolipoprotein C-II increased the apparent Vmax from 2.4 to 20.0 mmol free fatty acid/h per mg enzyme for the lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of trioleoylglycerol/phospholipid particles with little change in Kmapp (1.0 mM). Addition of apolipoprotein C-II-deficient triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins or high-density lipoproteins to trioleoylglycerol/phospholipid particles in the presence of apolipoprotein C-II inhibited lipoprotein lipase activity. Lipoprotein lipase activity was also inhibited by the addition of a large excess of lipid-free apolipoprotein C-III to the artificial particles. The decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity correlated with the amount of bound apolipoprotein C-II. We suggest that the reported discrepancies on the effect of apolipoproteins C-II and C-III on lipoprotein lipase catalysis is related to differences in substrates and to the amount of added apolipoproteins.