Rustaeus S, Lindberg K, Stillemark P, Claesson C, Asp L, Larsson T, Borén J, Olofsson S O
Department of Medical Biochemistry, Göteborg University, Sweden.
J Nutr. 1999 Feb;129(2S Suppl):463S-466S. doi: 10.1093/jn/129.2.463S.
The liver plays a primary role in lipid metabolism. Important functions include the synthesis and incorporation of hydrophobic lipids, triacylglycerols and cholesteryl esters into the core of water-miscible particles called lipoproteins and the secretion of these particles into the circulation for transport to distant tissues. In this article, we present a brief overview of one aspect of the assembly process of very low density lipoproteins, namely, possible mechanisms for combining core lipids with apolipoprotein B. This is a complex process in which apolipoprotein B interacts with core lipids to form very low density lipoproteins by a two-step process that can be dissociated biochemically.
