The low density lipoprotein receptor on human peripheral blood monocytes and lymphocytes: visualization by ligand blotting and immunoblotting techniques.

Western blotting and immunoprecipitation techniques were used to study low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors from cultured human monocytes, lymphocytes, and fibroblasts. After incubation in lipoprotein-deficient media to allow induction, receptors were solubilized, subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose paper, and detected by incubation with apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins followed by radiolabeled antiapolipoprotein B antibody. LDL receptors of identical apparent mol wt were demonstrated in monocyte and lymphocyte cell extracts; the receptors bound LDL as well as human post-prandial lipoprotein (density, less than 1.0063) on Western blots, but did not bind acetyl-LDL. LDL receptors in mononuclear cells could also be detected by immunoblotting using immunoglobulin G-C7, a monoclonal antibody raised against the bovine LDL receptor. When cell extracts were blotted, the mononuclear cell receptors had a lower mol wt than the fibroblast receptor in unreduced sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, with an apparent mol wt difference of 5,000 [134,000 +/- 1,400 (+/- SE) for mononuclear cells vs. 139,000 +/- 1600 for fibroblasts]. Immunoprecipitation and electrophoresis of L-[35S]methionine-labeled cell extracts revealed more rapid conversion of the receptor precursor to the mature receptor in monocytes than in fibroblasts. Western blotting of mononuclear cells from a patient with an abnormally high mol wt receptor characterized in fibroblasts demonstrated that the same mutation was expressed in monocytes and lymphocytes. This report represents the first visualization of human mononuclear cell LDL receptors by Western blotting and immunoprecipitation. These techniques may find application in population screening for LDL receptor variability.