Cholesterol synthesis Flashcards
Cholesterol is a precursor to?
Bile salts (for far emulsification) Steroid hormones
What is Cholesterol an essential component of?
Cell membranes
Where is cholesterol located on the cell membrane?
between membrane fatty acid chains
What tendency does cholesterol have in the membrane?
to cluster
Where is the highest concentration of cholesterol and what’s the %?
plasma membrane (25% of total lipid content)
Where is cholesterol least likely to be found?
inner mitochondrial matrix (virtually absent)
How does cholesterol reduce fluidity?
by forming loose cross-links
When does cholesterol increase rigidity?
when next to saturated LCFA
What percentage of cholesterol circulates as free form?
30%
What are most esterified LCFA’s attached to?
hydroxyl group
When fat and cholesterol combine what do they form?
A cholesterol ester is formed
What form of cholesterol is more hydrophobic?
Esterified cholesterol
Where is esterified cholesterol not found?
in membranes
What transports esterified cholesterol?
lipoproteins
Where is esterified cholesterol solubilized?
in Bile (by bile salts and phospholipids)
What is an ester?
Any organic molecule produced by combining an acid with an alcohol
Can most human cells make cholesterol?
yes
Where is the primary site of cholesterol synthesis?
Liver
What extrahepatic sites for cholesterol synthesis are there?
Adrenal cortex
Intestine
Reproductive tissue (ovaries, testes, placenta)
(AIR)
What is the location in the cell for cholesterol synthesis?
cytosol
Where are all of the reactions of cholesterol synthesis at?
cytosol
Where are some of the enzymes for cholesterol synthesis attached to?
endoplasmic reticulum
Where are the carbon atoms (Acetyl Coa) coming from for cholesterol synthesis?
Oxidation of LCFA’s (OHOT)
Oxidation of pyruvate (Glycolysis)
Oxidation of ketogenic amino acids
Where does the reducing power for cholesterol synthesis come from?
NADPH (Pentose Phosphate pathway)
Where is the energy for cholesterol synthesis coming from?
ATP breakdown
Thioester cleavage