pH-Dependent Protonation of Histidine Residues Is Critical for Electrostatic Binding of Low-Density Lipoproteins to Human Coronary Arteries.

This study identifies histidine protonation as an important component for electrostatic LDL binding to human coronary arteries. Our findings show that the local pH will have a profound impact on LDL's affinity for sulfated glycosaminoglycans, which may influence the retention and accumulation pattern of LDL in the arterial vasculature.