Nonspecific lipid-transfer proteins

Lerche, M.H. and Poulsen, F.M. (1998) Solution structure of barley lipid transfer protein complexed with palmitate. Two different binding modes of palmitate in the homologous maize and barley nonspecific lipid transfer proteins. Protein Science 7, 2490-2498. 

Breiteneder, H. and Mills, C. 2005a. Nonspecific lipid-transfer proteins in plant foods and pollens An important allergen class. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol 5 275-279. 

Takishima, K., Watanabe, S., Yamada, M. and Mamlya, G., 1986 -The amino acid sequence of the nonspecific lipid transfer protein from germinated castor bean endosperm.Biochim. Biophys. Acta 870, 248-250. 

APPROACH TO IN VIVO FUNCTION OF NONSPECIFIC LIPID TRANSFER PROTEINS IN HIGHER PLANTS... 

The transfer of radiolabeled phospholipids between vesicles and erythrocyte membranes could be used to assay lipid transfer activity. Intact erythrocytes are not an ideal substrate for routine measurements of transfer activity because some transfer proteins do not readily accelerate the transfer of phospholipids from these membranes. Van Meer et al. (1980) found that a very high concentration of the phosphatidylcholine-specific transfer protein was necessary to exchange the phosphatidylcholine of intact red blood cells. Erythrocyte ghosts are a more active substrate for this protein (Bloj and Zilversmit, 1976). However, the nonspecific transfer protein from bovine liver accelerates the exchange of phospholipid between intact erythrocytes and phosphatidylcholine vesicles (Crain and Zilversmit, 1980c). 

Figure 7.7-2. Liposome-cell interactions. Drug-loaded liposomes can specifically (A) or nonspecificaiiy (B) adsorb onto the ceil surface. Liposomes can also fuse with the cell membrane (C) and release their contents into the cell cytoplasm, or they can be destabilized by certain cell membrane components when adsorbed on the surface (D) so that the released drug can enter the cell via micro-pinocytosis. Liposome can undergo the direct or transfer-protein mediated exchange of lipid components with the cell membrane (E) or be taken up by specific or nonspecific endocytosis (F). In the case of endocytosis, a liposome can be delivered by the endosome into the lysosome (G), or en route to the lysosome, the liposome can provoke endosome destabilization (H), which results in drug liberation into the cytoplasm. (With permission from Ref. 29.)...

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