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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Dec 24.
Published in final edited form as: Biol Chem. 2010 Nov;391(11):1341–1363. doi: 10.1515/BC.2010.129

Figure 1. The LDL receptor gene family.

Figure 1

Panel A illustrates the core LDL receptor gene family as it exists in mammalian species. Panel B displays equivalent receptors that are structurally and functionally distinct family members in non-mammalian species. Panel C represents a subgroup of functionally important, but more distantly related family members that share some, but not all, of the structural requirements of the ‘core members’. In addition, they may also contain domains e.g. vacuolar protein sorting (VPS) domain, which are not present in the core family. These family members are characterized by one or more ligand binding domains, epidermal growth factor (EGF) – homology domains consisting of EGF repeats and YWTD propeller (β-propeller) domains involved in pH dependent release of ligands in the endosomes, a single transmembrane domain and a cytoplasmic tail containing at least one NPxY motifs. The latter represents both the endocytosis signal as well as a binding site for adaptor proteins linking the receptor to intracellular signaling pathways. Furthermore, LDLR, VLDLR, and Apoer2 carry an O-linked sugar domain.