Structure, evolution, and regulation of chicken apolipoprotein A-I.

A full-length cDNA clone for the precursor form of chicken liver apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) was isolated by antibody screening of a chicken liver cDNA library in the expression vector lambda gt11. The complete nucleotide sequence and predicted amino acid sequence of this clone is presented. The identity of the clone was confirmed by comparison with partial amino acid sequences for chicken apolipoprotein A-I. Chicken preproapolipoprotein A-1 consists of an 18-amino acid prepeptide, a 6-amino acid propeptide, and 240 amino acids of mature protein. The sequence of the protein is homologous to mammalian apoA-I and is highly internally repetitive, consisting largely of 11-amino acid repeats predicted to have an amphipathic alpha-helical structure. The sequence of the propeptide (Arg-Ser-Phe-Trp-Gln-His) differs in two positions from that of mammalian apoA-I. The mRNA for chicken apoA-I is about 1 kilobase in length and is expressed in a variety of tissues including liver, intestine, brain, adrenals, kidneys, heart, and muscle. This quantitative tissue distribution has been determined and is similar to that observed for mammalian apoE and different from that of mammalian apoA-I mRNA. This reinforces the concept that avian apoA-I performs functions analogous to those of mammalian apoE. Moreover, comparisons revealed sequences of chicken apoA-I similar to the region of mammalian apoE responsible for interaction with cellular receptors. Previous studies have demonstrated striking changes in the rates of synthesis of apoA-I in breast muscle during development and in optic nerve after retinal ablation. We now demonstrate that these changes are paralleled by changes in mRNA levels. ApoA-I mRNA levels increase approximately 50-fold in breast muscle between 14 days postconception and hatching and then decrease about 15-fold to adult levels. The levels of apoA-I mRNA increase about 3-fold in optic nerve following retinal ablation. ApoA-I mRNA is also found in the brain in the absence of nerve injury. This may indicate that locally synthesized apoA-I has a routine or housekeeping function in lipid metabolism in the central nervous system.