Intracellular trafficking of pigeon β-very low density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein at low and high concentrations in pigeon macrophages

Abstract

Foam cell formation occurs in vitro at lipoprotein concentrations above 50 μg/ml in pigeon macrophages. Hypothetically, intracellular trafficking of lipoproteins at higher concentrations may differ from uptake of lipoproteins associated with low concentrations, revealing a separate atherogenic endocytic pathway. Macrophage intracellular trafficking of pigeon β-very low density lipoprotein (β-VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) at low concentrations (12 μg/ml) near the saturation of high affinity binding sites and high lipoprotein concentrations (50–150 μg/ml) used to induce foam cell formation were examined. Pigeon β-VLDL and LDL, differentially labeled with colloidal gold, were added simultaneously to contrast trafficking of β-VLDL, which causes in vitro foam cell formation, with LDL, which does not. The binding of lipoproteins to cell surface structures, distribution of lipoproteins in endocytic organelles, and the extent of colabeling in the endocytic organelles were determined by thin-section transmission electron microscopy. At low concentrations, the intracellular trafficking of pigeon LDL and β-VLDL was identical. At high concentrations, LDL was removed more rapidly from the plasma membrane and reached lysosomes more quickly than β-VLDL. No separate endocytic route was present at high concentrations of β-VLDL; rather, an increased residence on the plasma membrane, association with nonmicrovillar portions of the plasma membrane, and slower trafficking in organelles of coated-pit endocytosis reflected a more atherogenic trafficking pattern.—Jones, N. L., J. A. Saunders, and R. R. Mallory. Intracellular trafficking of pigeon β-very low density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein at low and high concentrations in pigeon macrophages. J. Lipid Res. 2000. 41: 1823–1831.