A 56 days grow-out experiment with three protein levels (35, 40 and 45%) and three lipid levels (5, 10 and 15%) was conducted to evaluate the optimum protein and lipid ratio for Oriental River Prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense). Four hundred and five prawns, with mean (± SD) weight of 1.40 ± 0.04 g were distributed in 27 glass aquaria and were fed four times daily. Results showed that interaction...

BACKGROUND The use of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) inhibitors is limited to severe hyperlipidemias because of associated hepatosteatosis and gastrointestinal adverse effects. Comprehensive knowledge about the structure-function of MTP might help design new molecules that avoid steatosis. Characterization of mutations in MTP causing abetalipoproteinemia has revealed that the ce...

The cDNA encoding the precursor form of non-specific lipid-transfer protein (pre-nsL-TP) from rat liver was cloned into the expression vector pET3d. The resulting plasmid was transformed to the Escherichia coli strain BL21(DE3). After induction of the bacteria with isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) pre-nsL-TP was purified from the bacterial lysate by anion exchange chromatography fo...

Mature white adipocytes contain a characteristic unilocular lipid droplet. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying unilocular lipid droplet formation are poorly understood. We previously showed that Fsp27, an adipocyte-specific lipid droplet-associated protein, promotes lipid droplet growth by initiating lipid exchange and transfer. Here, we identify Perilipin1 (Plin1), another adipocyte-s...

Lipid transport between membranes within cells involves vesicle and protein carriers, but as agents of nonvesicular lipid transfer, the role of membrane contact sites has received increasing attention. As zones for lipid metabolism and exchange, various membrane contact sites mediate direct associations between different organelles. In particular, membrane contact sites linking the plasma membr...

Lipid droplets are intracellular energy storage organelles composed of a hydrophobic core of neutral lipid, surrounded by a monolayer of phospholipid and a diverse array of proteins. The function of the vast majority of these proteins with regard to the formation and/or turnover of lipid droplets is unknown. Our laboratory was the first to report that microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (M...

Protein kinase D (PKD) has been identified as a crucial regulator of secretory transport at the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Recruitment and activation of PKD at the TGN is mediated by the lipid diacylglycerol, a pool of which is generated by sphingomyelin synthase from ceramide and phosphatidylcholine. The nonvesicular transfer of ceramide from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi complex is m...

We previously determined that hamster cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), unlike human CETP, promotes a novel one-way transfer of TG from VLDL to HDL, causing HDL to gain lipid. We hypothesize that this nonreciprocal lipid transfer activity arises from the usually high TG/cholesteryl ester (CE) substrate preference of hamster CETP. Consistent with this, we report here that ∼25% of the to...