Lipid Science & Technology

Biography

Biography: Yajnavalka Banerjee

Abstract

Lipids play pivotal role in the preservation of     homeostasis     in the physiological milieu. However, certain diseased states detrimentally affect the metabolism of lipids in turn disconcerting the fu lcrum of homeostasis. Case in point, heterozygous familial    hypercholesterolaemia    (HeFH) a genetic disorder associated with considerable mor bidity and mortality. The most common defect is loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in the low-density    lipoprotein    (LDL)  receptor alleles (over 1600 mutations having been reported). Other more infrequent causes of FH are defects in   apolipoprotein B   (ApoB), (the protein in the LDL particle that binds to the LDL receptor) and gain-of-function (GOF) mutations  in the pro-protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9). In the first part of the di squisition, we appraise the effect of two new mutations on different protein-structural levels, identified in the LDL-receptor and PCSK9 genes in two Omani Arab families diagnosed with FH, according to Simon-Broome criteria, employing in silico tools. We also assess the mode of inheritance of these two mutations. The fact that lipids also exhibit cardio-protective activity is not a very well-investigate niche. The second part of the discourse is dedicated to the recently discovered anticoagulant effect of    acylcarnitines   . Our studies show that acylcarnitines inhibit factor Xa-initiated clotting. Inhibition of factor Xa by acylcarnitines is greater for longer acyl chain lengths. Mechanistic studies show that 16:0 acylcarnitine has anticoagulant activity in the absence of factor Va or phospholipids. Surface plasmon resonance investigations revealed that 16:0   acylcarnitine   binds to factor Xa, and that binding is independent of the  γ-carboxy g lutamic acid domain