Probing the 121-136 domain of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase using antibodies

Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) catalyzes the esterification of plasma lipoprotein cholesterol in mammals as part of the reverse cholesterol transport pathway. Studies of the natural mutations of LCAT revealed a region that is highly sensitive to mutations (residues 121-136) and it is highly conserved in six animal species. The purpose of these studies was to investigate the reactivity of wild type and several mutated forms of LCAT, with a series polyclonal antibodies to further characterize this specific domain (residues 121-136). Two polyclonal antibodies directed against the whole enzyme, one against human plasma LCAT and the other against purified recombinant LCAT, and one site specific polyclonal antibody, directed against the 121-136 region of LCAT, were employed. All three antibodies reacted with a recombinant form of purified LCAT; however, only the polyclonal antibodies directed against the whole enzyme were able to recognize the LCAT when it was adsorbed to a hydrophobic surface in a solid phase immunoassay, or when bound to HDL in a sink immunoassay. These findings indicate that the epitope(s) of the 121-136 region are not accessible to antibodies under these conditions. Three mutant forms of LCAT, representing alterations in the 121-136 region, were also examined for their immunoreactivity with the same panel of antibodies and compared to the wild-type enzyme. These studies demonstrate that in its native configuration the 121-136 region of LCAT is likely to reside on a surface of LCAT. Furthermore, mutations within this region appear to markedly impact the exposure of epitopes at additional sites. These findings suggest that the 121-136 region could play an important role in enzyme interaction with its hydrophobic lipoprotein substrates as mutations within this region appear to alter enzyme conformation, catalytic activity, and the specificity of LCAT.