Cholesterol, bile Flashcards
What are the functions of cholesterol?
How is it stored in the body?
stored as cholesterolester
functions:
- important part of cellular membranes
- precursor of steroid hormones
- precursor of bile acids
How much cholesterol can be found in the body?
Where?
in total 140g (70kg human)
- 120g in membranes
- 10g in blood plasma
rest… ?
How much cholesterol is supplied and lost daily?
supply:
- 0.5g synthesized in liver
- 0.5g synthesized in extrahepatic tissue
- 0.5g dietary intake
loss:
- 0.5g synthesized to bile salts
- 0.5g free cholesterol in bile
- 0.5g desquamation of epithelium
Where can cholesterol be found in the membrane?
hydrophilic OH- group at aqueous interface,
remainder within lipid bilayer leaflet
- btw phospholipids
- esp. abundant in lipid-rafts and caveolae
What are the 5 steps of cholesterol synthesis?
- mevalonate formed from acetyl-CoA
- active isoprene, isopentenyl PP formed by loss of CO2
- condensates to squalene
- cyclizes to parent steroid lanosterol
- formation of cholesterol
How much energy and acetyl-CoA is needed to produce 1 molecule of cholesterole?
How many enzymes are involved?
- 18 acetyl-CoA
- 36 ATP
- 20 NADPH/H+
- 21 enzymes
Describe the stepwise production of mevalonate.
Where does it happen?
Enzymes + reactions.
first 2 steps of ketogenesis, BUT: in cytosol
-
thiolase
2acetyl-CoA → acetoacetyl-CoA + CoA-SH -
HMG-CoA synthase
… + acetyl-CoA → HMG-CoA + CoA-SH -
HMG-CoA reductase
… + 2NADPH/H+ → CoA-SH + 2NADP+ + mevalonate
What is special about HMG-CoA reductase?
Where can it be found?
catalyzes rate-limiting step of cholesterol synthesis
→ anchored to membrane of ER
(considered as enzyme of ER)
How is isopentenyl PP formed?
Anything important?
Structure.
mevalonate phosphorylated sequentially, after decarboxylation → isopentenyl PP
3 ATP used, 1 CO2 formed
How is squalene formed?
Structure.
formed from 6 isopentenyl PP
- isopentenyl PP isomerizes
- condensates w/ another isopentenyl PP → geranyl PP (10C)
- condensates w/ another isopentenyl PP → farnesyl PP (15C)
- 2 farnesyl PP → squalene (30C), 1NADPH/H+ used
Farnesyl (<u><strong>F</strong></u>ifteen)
How is lanosterol formed?
Where does it happen?
Structure.
- squalene converted to squalene 2,3-epoxide in the ER
- ring closure to form steroid nucleus, lanosterol
How is cholesterol formed?
Where does it happen?
Structure.
lanosterol undergoes changes in steroid nucleus + side chain → cholesterol
happens on ER membrane
Explain the general mechanism of cholesterol homeostasis.
cholesterol concentration more or less constant bc regulated via synthesis/excretion
-
↑ cholesterol → ↓ transcription of
- HMG-CoA synthase
- HMG-CoA reductase
- prenyltransferase
- genes coding LDL receptor
- ↓ cholesterol → ↑ transcription
What is the function of SRBEP?
Describe its structure.
3 isoenzymes: SREBP-1a, -1c, 2
→ SREBP-2 causes transcription of enzymes involved in cholesterol synthesis
3 domains:
- N-terminal: transcription factor, helix-loop-helix (HLH)
- C terminal: regulatory function, binding to SCAP
- luminal domain: incorporated in ER membrane
Which 2 enzymes show cholesterol sensor domains?
- HMG-CoA reductase: produces mevalonate, catalyzes committed step of chol. synthesis
- SCAP: SREBP cleavage-activating protein, bound to ER membrane, interacts w/ C-terminal of SRBEP-2
How is the activity of HMG-CoA reductase regulated?
Why is it so important?
catalyzes committed step of cholesterol synthesis, regulated by
- [cholesterol]
- oxysterol binding
- reversible phosphorylation
- competitive inhibition