Accumulation of pro-apolipoprotein A-II in mouse senile amyloid fibrils.

Apolipoprotein A-II (apoA-II), the major apoprotein of serum high-density lipoprotein, is deposited as amyloid fibrils (AApoAII) in murine senile amyloidosis. We have identified and purified a more basic amyloid protein from old-mouse liver. N-terminal sequencing of the protein revealed that the pro-segment of five amino acid residues (Ala-Leu-Val-Lys-Arg) extended from the N-terminal glutamine residue of mature apoA-II protein. MS analysis revealed the deposit of intact pro-apoA-II protein (molecular mass 9319 Da). Antiserum was prepared for staining of the AApoAII amyloid deposition. The relative abundance of pro-apoA-II to mature apoA-II in the amyloid-fibril fraction isolated from livers of mice with severe amyloidosis was 14.1%. The similar abundance of pro-apoA-II in the amyloid fibril fraction from the spleen (16.3%) suggested that deposited pro-apoA-II originated from the blood. The concentration of pro-apoA-II was much lower in the serum (1.5% of mature apoA-II) than in the amyloid-fibril fraction. There was no difference in the content of pro-apoA-II between the amyloidogenetic R1.P1-Apoa2c and amyloid-resistant SAMR1 strains at the age of 3 months. The abundance of pro-apoA-II in the amyloid-fibril fraction compared with the serum suggested that it plays a key role in the initialization of mouse senile amyloidosis.