AUP1 (Ancient Ubiquitous Protein 1)

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death around the world. A major cause is atherogenic dyslipidemia, which is characterized by increased concentrations of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and is seen in subjects with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Increased hepatic secretion of triglyceride-rich very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) is a major determinant of the hypertriglyceridemia. The production of VLDL from the liver is a complex process. It starts with the formation of nascent lipoprotein particles that are further lipidated in the secretory pathway, resulting in the generation of triglyceride-rich VLDL particles that are secreted from the liver. It is therefore not surprising that VLDL secretion— and thus the concentration of plasma triglycerides—is highly dependent on the availability of hepatic lipids.