Lily

When food is digested and broken down, its nutrients travel through the bloodstream toward their intended destinations in the body; lipoprotein particles carry cholesterol. When this happens, some of the cholesterol can get “dropped” and left behind in the artery by the lipoprotein particles. As the cholesterol accumulates over time, blood flow can be greatly hindered, potentially resulting in health issues such as heart attacks, stroke, and aneurysm. Lipoproteins have a round shell made of proteins called apoproteins, the purpose of which is to keep the functions of lipoproteins regulated. Similarly to lipoproteins, particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs) travel through the bloodstream and are key to cellular communication and, by extension, the health of the immune system. EVs and lipoproteins are very similar sizes, and because they both travel through the bloodstream, at times they “bump into” one another. When this happens, they may stick to one another, forming EV-LPL “complexes.” Details of how they affect each other are not clear, but it is known that apoproteins can alter EV function, often for the worse. The goal of my research is to learn more about what happens when the two particles interact, and how apoproteins complicate the process, as well as generally contribute to knowledge regarding how lipoproteins function. My lab plans to do so by isolating EVs from lipoproteins and analyzing the extent to which apoproteins have interacted with them. This research will contribute to overall knowledge of lipoprotein processes in the molecular biology field.