34th annual Canadian Lipoprotein Conference (CLC 2010)

The annual Canadian Lipoprotein Conference brings together scientists from Canadian research institutions to present their recent, unpublished findings in the field of lipoprotein metabolism. Lipoproteins are complex, biochemical structures found in many animals from insects to humans whose primary function is to transport hydrophobic molecules such as cholesteryl esters (CE) and triacylglycerols (TAG) between the tissues of the body. To achieve this goal, CE and TAG are coated by a shell of amphipathic lipids (i.e. phospholipids, cholesterol) and proteins (i.e. apolipoproteins) to form discoidal or spherical particles of various sizes which are soluble in the circulation (see figure). In addition to the structural components of lipoproteins, numerous proteins and signalling pathways are involved in the synthesis, secretion, modification and clearance of lipoproteins.