Secreted proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 reduces both hepatic and extrahepatic low-density lipoprotein receptors in vivo

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a serine protease that is known to reduce hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) levels and increase plasma LDL cholesterol. It is not clear, however, whether secreted PCSK9 degrades extrahepatic LDLRs. We present evidence that recombinant PCSK9, either injected intravenously into or expressed in the liver of C57BL/6 mice, significantly reduced LDLR levels in multiple extrahepatic tissues. During the initial characterization, we found that injected human recombinant PCSK9 at 30 μg/mouse had a half-life of 15 min in serum in mice. Hepatic LDLR levels were reduced within 30 min and the degradation of hepatic LDLR reached the maximum 2 h after the initial protein injection. Endocytosis of PCSK9 in liver occurred within 5 min of protein injection and internalized PCSK9 was only barely detectable within 1 h. When extrahepatic LDLRs were examined by Western blotting analysis, we found significant reductions of LDLRs in multiple extrahepatic tissues including lung, adipose and kidney along with the more dramatic reduction of LDLRs in liver. These studies were further extended using adenoviral expression of human PCSK9 in C57BL/6 mice to demonstrate that PCSK9 produced in liver impacted extrahepatic tissue LDLR levels as well. Taken together, our studies indicate that secreted PCSK9 can potentially impact extrahepatic tissue cholesterol homeostasis by regulating extrahepatic tissue LDLR levels.     

前蛋白转化酶枯草溶菌素9的生物学功能

前蛋白转化酶枯草溶菌素9(proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9,PCSK9)基因属于前蛋白转化酶(PC)家族,是一个新发现不久的与胆固醇代谢相关基因.近年来,PCSK9在其生物学效应及疾病中的作用越来越受到重视.大量的研究表明,除通过调节低密度脂蛋白受体(LDLR)影响胆固醇代谢外,PCSK9还参与细胞凋亡,促进肝发育、再生,促进神经系统发育,影响神经系统分化并且与炎症过程以及糖尿病相关.本文对PCSK9功能方面最新研究进展进行了综述。     

研究: PCSK9/LDLR通路介导姜黄素烟酸酯促进HepG2摄取脂质

为研究PCSK9/LDLR通路介导姜黄素烟酸酯(CurTn)降低血浆低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C),减少动脉内膜下脂质沉积的分子机制,用5、10、15 μmo/L姜黄素烟酸酯与25 mg/L LDL共孵育HepG2细胞24 h,分别采用油红O染色、胆固醇荧光定量试剂盒、DiI-LDL摄取检测细胞内胆固醇含量及LDL摄取情况,用逆转录定量聚合酶链反应(RT-Q-PCR)检测LDLR及SREBP2的mRNA表达,蛋白质印迹检测LDLR、SREBP2及PCSK9蛋白表达．随姜黄素烟酸酯作用浓度的增高细胞内脂滴显著增多,细胞内游离胆固醇(FC)、总胆固醇(TC)含量增高,细胞内胆固醇摄取增多;RT-Q-PCR和蛋白质印迹检测发现,与对照组(Control)比较,5、10、15 μmo/L 姜黄素烟酸酯处理组LDLR 蛋白表达增高,SREBP2 mRNA表达水平升高,PCSK9蛋白表达降低,但对LDLR mRNA及SREBP2 蛋白表达无影响．结果表明：姜黄素烟酸酯通过降低PCSK9、减少LDLR降解、升高LDLR蛋白表达,促进HepG2细胞胆摄取胆固醇．初步说明CurTn可能通过抑制PCSK9介导LDLR溶酶体降解,促进肝脏清除血浆LDL-C水平．     

PCSK9结构与功能

前蛋白转化酶枯草溶菌素9（PCSK9）基因属于前蛋白转化酶（PC）家族,由信号肽、前结构域、催化结构域和羧基末端结构域组成.大量研究发现,PCSK9能介导低密度脂蛋白受体（LDLR）降解,调节血浆LDL胆固醇（LDL-C）水平;而PCSK9的两类主要突变,功能获得型、功能缺失型可分别导致高胆固醇血症和低胆固醇血症. 因而研究PCSK9对相关心血管疾病的防治有重要意义. PCSK9结构特性与其生化功能密切相关,突变致使其调节胆固醇代谢的机制更为复杂.本文旨在总结PCSK9结构与功能的分子生物学特性,并指出目前研究中存在的问题,以利对PCSK9的进一步探索.     

PCSK9: A novel inflammation modulator in atherosclerosis?

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) is the ninth member of the secretory serine protease family. It binds to low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) for endocytosis and lysosome degradation in the liver, resulting in an increasing in circulating LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) level. Since a PCSK9 induced increase in plasma LDL-c contributes to atherosclerosis, PCSK9 inhibition has become a new strategy in preventing and treating atherosclerosis. However, in addition to the effect of PCSK9 on elevating blood LDL-c levels, accumulating evidence shows that PCSK9 plays an important role in inflammation, likely representing another major mechanism for PCSK9 to promote atherosclerosis. In this review, we discuss the association of PCSK9 and inflammation, and highlight the specific effects of PCSK9 on different vascular cellular components involved in the atherosclerotic inflammation. We also discuss the clinical evidence for the association between PCSK9 and inflammation in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. A better understanding of the direct association of PCSK9 with atherosclerotic inflammation might help establish a new role for PCSK9 in vascular biology and identify a novel molecular mechanism for PCSK9 therapy.     

LDL、oxLDL对THP-1巨噬细胞PCSK9、LDLR表达的影响研究

为研究低密度脂蛋白(LDL)、氧化修饰的低密度脂蛋白(oxLDL)对THP-1源性巨噬细胞中PCSK9、 LDLR表达的影响及两者之间的关系.分别用0mg/L、10mg/L、20mg/L、30mg/L的LDL和0mg/L、10mg/L、20mg/L、30mg/L的oxLDL处理THP-1巨噬细胞,油红O染色检测细胞荷脂情况,免疫荧光检测THP-1巨噬细胞上PCSK9蛋白表达及分布情况,RT-PCR、 Western blot检测THP-1巨噬细胞上PCSK9、 LDLR mRNA、蛋白质的表达.结果发现,不同浓度LDL处理THP-1巨噬细胞后,随着LDL浓度的增大,细胞内脂滴数目略有增多.免疫荧光染色发现,PCSK9在THP-1巨噬细胞上的表达随LDL浓度的增加而增多,胞浆内定位于某一特定细胞器中;RT-PCR、 Western blot检测发现,LDL可以呈浓度依赖性下调THP-1巨噬细胞中LDLR的表达和上调PCSK9的表达.不同浓度oxLDL处理THP-1巨噬细胞后,随oxLDL浓度的增大,脂滴颗粒明显增加;oxLDL处理对THP-1巨噬细胞上PCSK9、 LDLR mRNA、蛋白质的表达影响均不明显.研究结果表明:THP-1巨噬细胞上,同时有PCSK9和LDLR的表达,且PCSK9定位于胞浆中某一特定细胞器;oxLDL对THP-1巨噬细胞LDLR和PCSK9表达没有影响;LDL能够降低THP-1巨噬细胞表面LDLR的表达,同时上调PCSK9表达,初步说明在THP-1巨噬细胞中,两者有一定的相关性.     

Potentiating CD8+ T cell antitumor activity by inhibiting PCSK9 to promote LDLR-mediated TCR recycling and signaling

Metabolic regulation has been proven to play a critical role in T cell antitumor immunity.However,cholesterol metabolism as a key component of this regulation remains largely unexplored.Herein,we found that the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR),which has been previously identified as a transporter for cholesterol,plays a pivotal role in regulating CD8+ T cell antitumor activity.Besides the involvement of cholesterol uptake which is mediated by LDLR in T cell priming and clonal expansion,we also found a non-canonical function of LDLR in CD8+ T cells: LDLR interacts with the T-cell receptor (TCR) complex and regulates TCR recycling and signaling,thus facilitating the effector function of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs).Furthermore,we found that the tumor microenvironment (TME) downregulates CD8+ T cell LDLR level and TCR signaling via tumor cell-derived proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) which binds to LDLR and prevents the recycling of LDLR and TCR to the plasma membrane thus inhibits the effector function of CTLs.Moreover,genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of PCSK9 in tumor cells can enhance the antitumor activity of CD8+ T cells by alleviating the suppressive effect on CD8+ T cells and consequently inhibit tumor progression.While previously established as a hypercholesterolemia target,this study highlights PCSK9/LDLR as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy as well.     

聚焦2014年高脂血症药物研究进展

介绍2014年高脂血症治疗领域在临床开发方面的三大主要进展：一是靶向PCSK9的新型单克隆抗体抑制剂可清除血液中的“坏的”低密度脂蛋白胆固醇,且临床试验表明其疗效良好;二是他汀类药物的安全性和有效性经重新评估后,可与其他药物联合广泛应用于临床;三是一些主要的药品监管和学术机构均发布了有关高脂血症的最新临床诊疗指南。