The carboxyl-terminal domain of lipoprotein lipase binds to the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein/alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor (LRP) and mediates binding of normal very low density lipoproteins to LRP.

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) binds with high affinity to the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein/alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor (LRP) and promotes binding, uptake, and degradation of normal triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in a process mediated by LRP (Chappell, D. A., Fry, G. L., Naknitx, M.A., Muhonen, L. E., Pladet, M. W., Iverius, P-H., and Strickland, D. K. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 14168-14175). To localize the portion of LPL that is responsible for interacting with LRP, fragments of LPL were expressed in bacteria. A fragment of human LPL containing the COOH-terminal domain (residues 313-448, designated LPLC) which lacks the catalytic site was able to bind to LRP. Purified LRP bound specifically to microtiter wells coated with LPL or LPLC with KD values of 2.8 and 5 nM, respectively. The effects of several mutations of LPLC were tested. Mutation of Lys407 to Ala reduced the affinity of LPLC for LRP by approximately 10-fold. Like native LPL, LPLC prevented the binding of activated alpha 2-macroglobulin and the 39-kDa receptor-associated protein to LRP and inhibited the internalization and degradation of activated alpha 2-macroglobulin and receptor-associated protein in cultured fibroblasts. LPLC also bound to 125I-labeled human normal triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and promoted their binding to purified LRP and to cultured cells. Mutation of Trp393 and Trp394 to Ala completely abolished the ability of LPLC to bind to lipoproteins, but had little effect on its interaction with LRP. These data indicate that the COOH-terminal domain of LPL may function both in binding lipoproteins and mediating their interaction with LRP.