A
lipoprotein is a
biochemical assembly that contains both
proteins and
lipids, bound to the proteins, which allow fats to move through the water inside and outside cells. The proteins serve to
emulsify the lipid molecules. Many
enzymes,
transporters, structural proteins,
antigens,
adhesins, and
toxins are lipoproteins. Examples include the
plasma lipoprotein particles classified under
high-density (HDL) and
low-density (LDL) lipoproteins, which enable fats to be carried in the
blood stream, the
transmembrane proteins of the
mitochondrion and the
chloroplast, and bacterial lipoproteins.