tissue-specific role of ATP binding cassette transporter A1 in atherogenesis

Abstract

ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) facilitates cellular free cholesterol and phospholipid efflux across the plasma membrane to combine with apolipoproteins, forming nascent high density lipoproteins (HDL), the precursor of mature plasma HDL. Mutations in ABCA1 cause Tangier disease, characterized by extremely low plasma HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and widespread storage of cholesterol in macrophages. We developed hepatocyte- and macrophage-specific ABCA1 knockout mice (HSKO and MSKO, respectively) and crossed them into the atherogenic low density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDLrKO) background to study their roles in atherogenesis.