Human high denisty apolipoprotein A-I-lysolecithin-lecithin and sphingomyelin complexes. A method for high yield recombinations to lipoprotein complexes of reproducible stoichiometry.

High denisty apolipoprotein A-1 (apoLp A-I) has been prepared in a chromatographically and immunochemically homogeneous form. This apoprotein forms trimeric and tetrameric aggregates in aqueous solutions at higher concentrations. ApoLp A-I has been recombined in almost quantitative yield in the presence of lysolecithin with phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin to particles of reproducible stoichiometry. Lysolecithin is not required for the interactions of lecithin and sphingomyelin with the apoprotein A-I or for the stability of these complexes. Dialysis removes most of the lysolecithin without the loss of lecithin and sphingomyelin. ApoLp A-I-lecithin particles have a molecular weight of 200 000 and contain 50 molecules lecithin and 25 of lysolecithin. ApoLp A-I-sphingomyelin complexes contain 50 sphingomyelin and 13 lysolecithin molecules. The former particles show up as discs of 100 A diameter, and the latter particles are 250 A in diameter. Their thickness was estimated as 25 A in the apoLp A-I lecithin and 60 A in the apoLp A-I-sphingomyelin particles. ApoLp A-I and lysolecithin form complexes whose densities depend on the lysolecithin concentration. Lysolecithin enhances the binding of phosphatidylcholine to apoLP A-I, yielding lipoprotein complexes with decreasing density. The yield of apoLp A-I-sphingomyelin-lysolecithin complexes is proportional to the lysolecithin concentration. The ratio of apoLp A-I to sphingomyelin in all these complexes remains constant.