A carboxyl-terminal fragment of lipoprotein lipase binds to the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein and inhibits lipase-mediated uptake of lipoprotein in cells.

It has previously been shown that lipoprotein lipase can mediate uptake of remnant lipoprotein particles via binding to the low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein/alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor (LRP). Binding of lipoprotein lipase, and of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins associated with the lipase, to LRP depends on an intact carboxyl-terminal folding domain of the lipase (Nykjaer, A., Bengtsson-Olivecrona, G., Lookene, A., Moestrup, S. K., Petersen, C. M., Weber, W., Beisiegel, W., and Gliemann, J. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 15048-15055). Here we show that the site for binding to the receptor is within residues 380-425 of the bovine and residues 378-423 of the human lipoprotein lipase. We demonstrate that a carboxyl-terminal fragment of human lipoprotein lipase (residues 378-448), expressed as fusion protein in Escherichia coli, binds to purified and cellular LRP but not to lipoproteins. Binding of the fragment to purified LRP was blocked by heparin. In addition, the fragment inhibited the binding of lipase and the lipase-mediated binding of lipoproteins to the purified receptor. The fragment exhibited reduced binding to proteoglycan-deficient cells. Moreover, the fragment inhibited the uptake of lipoproteins in cells mediated by the lipase via binding to heparan sulfate proteoglycans and LRP. We conclude that the fragment contains the site for binding to LRP and a candidate site for interaction with heparan sulfate proteoglycans, whereas binding to lipoproteins is inefficient. The fragment can therefore inhibit the lipase-mediated lipoprotein uptake, a process that may promote the development of atherosclerosis when occurring in cells of the arterial wall.