{"id":{"repo_id":"ottawa-retro","oai_identifier":"oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/26114"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ottawa-retro/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/26114","repository":{"repo_id":"ottawa-retro","name":"University of Ottawa","base_url":"https://ruor.uottawa.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Characterization of PCSK9-mediated LDLR Degradation in Hepatic and Fibroblast Cells","abstract":"The discovery that proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) mediates degradation of low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLR) indicates a critical role in LDL metabolism. PCSK9 is a secreted protein that binds to the epidermal growth factor-like (EGF)-A domain of LDLR and directs the receptor for degradation in lysosomes by an unknown mechanism. A gain-of-function mutation, D374Y, increases binding to LDLR EGF-A >10-fold and is associated with a severe form of hypercholesterolemia in humans. Similar to previous studies, data obtained in my project has established that PCSK9 was capable of promoting robust LDLR degradation in liver-derived cell lines; however, minimal effects on LDLR levels were detected in several lines of fibroblast cells despite normal LDLR-dependent cellular uptake of PCSK9. Importantly, a PCSK9 degradation assay showed that 125I-labeled wild-type PCSK9 was internalized and degraded equally in both hepatic and fibroblast cells, indicating dissociation of wild-type PCSK9 from recycling LDLRs in fibroblasts. Moreover, PCSK9 recycling assays confirmed that no recycling of wild-type PCSK9 to the cell surface could be detected in fibroblast cells. In contrast, more than 60% of internalized PCSK9-D374Y recycled to the cell surface in these cells, and thus had reduced ability to direct the LDLR for lysosomal degradation despite persistent binding. Co-localization studies indicated that PCSK9-D374Y trafficked to both lysosomes and recycling compartments in fibroblast cells, whereas wild-type PCSK9 exclusively trafficked to lysosomes. We conclude that two factors diminish PCSK9 activity in fibroblast cells: i) an increased dissociation from the LDLR in early endosomal compartments, and ii) a decreased ability of bound PCSK9 to direct the LDLR to lysosomes for degradation. Finally, an LDLR variant that binds to PCSK9 in a Ca2+-independent manner could partially restore wild-type PCSK9 activity, but not PCSK9-D374Y activity, in fibroblast cells.","abstract_html":"The discovery that proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) mediates degradation of low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLR) indicates a critical role in LDL metabolism. PCSK9 is a secreted protein that binds to the epidermal growth factor-like (EGF)-A domain of LDLR and directs the receptor for degradation in lysosomes by an unknown mechanism. A gain-of-function mutation, D374Y, increases binding to LDLR EGF-A >10-fold and is associated with a severe form of hypercholesterolemia in humans. Similar to previous studies, data obtained in my project has established that PCSK9 was capable of promoting robust LDLR degradation in liver-derived cell lines; however, minimal effects on LDLR levels were detected in several lines of fibroblast cells despite normal LDLR-dependent cellular uptake of PCSK9. Importantly, a PCSK9 degradation assay showed that 125I-labeled wild-type PCSK9 was internalized and degraded equally in both hepatic and fibroblast cells, indicating dissociation of wild-type PCSK9 from recycling LDLRs in fibroblasts. Moreover, PCSK9 recycling assays confirmed that no recycling of wild-type PCSK9 to the cell surface could be detected in fibroblast cells. In contrast, more than 60% of internalized PCSK9-D374Y recycled to the cell surface in these cells, and thus had reduced ability to direct the LDLR for lysosomal degradation despite persistent binding. Co-localization studies indicated that PCSK9-D374Y trafficked to both lysosomes and recycling compartments in fibroblast cells, whereas wild-type PCSK9 exclusively trafficked to lysosomes. We conclude that two factors diminish PCSK9 activity in fibroblast cells: i) an increased dissociation from the LDLR in early endosomal compartments, and ii) a decreased ability of bound PCSK9 to direct the LDLR to lysosomes for degradation. Finally, an LDLR variant that binds to PCSK9 in a Ca2+-independent manner could partially restore wild-type PCSK9 activity, but not PCSK9-D374Y activity, in fibroblast cells.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Nguyen, My-Anh"],"institution":"Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Lagacé, Thomas"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-09-13T14:25:22Z","date_published":"2013-09-13T14:25:22Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:39:18Z","subjects":["Wild-type PCSK9","PCSK9-D374Y","LDL receptor degradation","hepatic cells","fibroblast cells"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3619"],"render_values":[{"text":"http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3619","href":"http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3619","code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10393/26114","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Lagacé, Thomas"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Nguyen, My-Anh"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2013-09-13T14:25:22Z","2014-03-13T10:00:05Z","2013"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Wild-type PCSK9","PCSK9-D374Y","LDL receptor degradation","hepatic cells","fibroblast cells"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10393/26114","http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3619"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["The discovery that proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) mediates degradation of low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLR) indicates a critical role in LDL metabolism. PCSK9 is a secreted protein that binds to the epidermal growth factor-like (EGF)-A domain of LDLR and directs the receptor for degradation in lysosomes by an unknown mechanism. A gain-of-function mutation, D374Y, increases binding to LDLR EGF-A >10-fold and is associated with a severe form of hypercholesterolemia in humans. Similar to previous studies, data obtained in my project has established that PCSK9 was capable of promoting robust LDLR degradation in liver-derived cell lines; however, minimal effects on LDLR levels were detected in several lines of fibroblast cells despite normal LDLR-dependent cellular uptake of PCSK9. Importantly, a PCSK9 degradation assay showed that 125I-labeled wild-type PCSK9 was internalized and degraded equally in both hepatic and fibroblast cells, indicating dissociation of wild-type PCSK9 from recycling LDLRs in fibroblasts. Moreover, PCSK9 recycling assays confirmed that no recycling of wild-type PCSK9 to the cell surface could be detected in fibroblast cells. In contrast, more than 60% of internalized PCSK9-D374Y recycled to the cell surface in these cells, and thus had reduced ability to direct the LDLR for lysosomal degradation despite persistent binding. Co-localization studies indicated that PCSK9-D374Y trafficked to both lysosomes and recycling compartments in fibroblast cells, whereas wild-type PCSK9 exclusively trafficked to lysosomes. We conclude that two factors diminish PCSK9 activity in fibroblast cells: i) an increased dissociation from the LDLR in early endosomal compartments, and ii) a decreased ability of bound PCSK9 to direct the LDLR to lysosomes for degradation. Finally, an LDLR variant that binds to PCSK9 in a Ca2+-independent manner could partially restore wild-type PCSK9 activity, but not PCSK9-D374Y activity, in fibroblast cells."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Characterization of PCSK9-mediated LDLR Degradation in Hepatic and Fibroblast Cells"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Lagacé, Thomas"],"dc:creator":["Nguyen, My-Anh"],"dc:date":["2013-09-13T14:25:22Z","2014-03-13T10:00:05Z","2013"],"dc:description":["The discovery that proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) mediates degradation of low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLR) indicates a critical role in LDL metabolism. PCSK9 is a secreted protein that binds to the epidermal growth factor-like (EGF)-A domain of LDLR and directs the receptor for degradation in lysosomes by an unknown mechanism. A gain-of-function mutation, D374Y, increases binding to LDLR EGF-A >10-fold and is associated with a severe form of hypercholesterolemia in humans. Similar to previous studies, data obtained in my project has established that PCSK9 was capable of promoting robust LDLR degradation in liver-derived cell lines; however, minimal effects on LDLR levels were detected in several lines of fibroblast cells despite normal LDLR-dependent cellular uptake of PCSK9. Importantly, a PCSK9 degradation assay showed that 125I-labeled wild-type PCSK9 was internalized and degraded equally in both hepatic and fibroblast cells, indicating dissociation of wild-type PCSK9 from recycling LDLRs in fibroblasts. Moreover, PCSK9 recycling assays confirmed that no recycling of wild-type PCSK9 to the cell surface could be detected in fibroblast cells. In contrast, more than 60% of internalized PCSK9-D374Y recycled to the cell surface in these cells, and thus had reduced ability to direct the LDLR for lysosomal degradation despite persistent binding. Co-localization studies indicated that PCSK9-D374Y trafficked to both lysosomes and recycling compartments in fibroblast cells, whereas wild-type PCSK9 exclusively trafficked to lysosomes. We conclude that two factors diminish PCSK9 activity in fibroblast cells: i) an increased dissociation from the LDLR in early endosomal compartments, and ii) a decreased ability of bound PCSK9 to direct the LDLR to lysosomes for degradation. Finally, an LDLR variant that binds to PCSK9 in a Ca2+-independent manner could partially restore wild-type PCSK9 activity, but not PCSK9-D374Y activity, in fibroblast cells."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/10393/26114","http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-3619"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa"],"dc:subject":["Wild-type PCSK9","PCSK9-D374Y","LDL receptor degradation","hepatic cells","fibroblast cells"],"dc:title":["Characterization of PCSK9-mediated LDLR Degradation in Hepatic and Fibroblast Cells"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:39:18Z"}