Lipoproteins comprise at least 10 different classes in rats, each of which contains a unique set of proteins as the primary component
Fig 3
Schematic flowchart of lipoprotein metabolism in rat.
A possible pathway is presented indicating the size and composition of the particles. Relative amounts of cholesterol, TG, and proteins are indicated as spheres on a pale-yellow background that indicates the size of the lipoprotein. In the center of the figure, CM and VLDL are degraded to LDL1 or LDL2 by digestion of TG and proteins; some cholesterol would also be removed. The pathways may cross over here because precursors of LDL1 and LDL2 would be particles with ApoB100 and ApoB48, respectively; an ApoB48 polypeptide, if folded in a globular form, would have a size similar to that of the modeled protein included in LDL2.
