Properties of an acid cholesteryl ester hydrolase inhibitor from rat serum

The inhibitory effect of a protein isolated from rat serum on lysosomal acid cholesteryl ester hydrolase (acid CEH; EC.3.1.1.13) activity was studied. An inhibitor was purified from rat serum following ultracentrifugation and heat treatment using column chromatography on Sephacryl S-200 and ultrafiltration. The purified inhibitor appeared as a single protein band in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of the inhibitor was 28,000 Daltons as judged by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purified inhibitor was shown to be apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I), the major apolipoprotein of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), using immunoprecipitation with rat anti-apo A-I immunoglobulin (Ig)G. Inhibition of acid CEH activity by apo A-I was dependent on the concentration of apo A-I. The values of Vmax obtained were similar with or without apo A-I. Apo A-I of various other mammalian species, including human, bovine and rabbit, also inhibited acid CEH activity. Other apolipoproteins, such as apo A-II and apo B, also showed inhibiting activity. On the other hand, apo A-I had no effect on the activity of other enzymes found in lysosomes, such as cathepsin D, beta-glucuronidase and acid phosphatase. The results suggest that apolipoproteins may play a role in the regulation of hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters in lipoproteins, that have been transferred to the liver, and that the inhibition of acid CEH activity by apo A-I may be a characteristic of the lipid-binding protein or be due to changes of the lipid/water interface.