Cholesterol ester hydrolase regulation

Fig. 3. The rate-limiting step of steroidogenesis under ACTH regulation. The transfer of cholesterol (C) from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane under ACTH regulation (step 3) makes cholesterol available to cytochrome /M50scc for conversion to pregnenolone (step 4), which diffuses out of the mitochondrion (step 5). Because of its insolubility in aqueous media, cholesterol must be transported to mitochondria, probably by SCP2, from a precursor pool (step 2). Here, cholesterol in the precursor pool is shown as being formed from cholesterol esters (CE) by cholesterol ester hydrolase (CEH) (step 1) other possible pathways are shown in Figs. 4 and 6. From Ref. 14.

The overall metabolism of vitamin A in the body is regulated by esterases. Dietary retinyl esters are hydrolyzed enzymatically in the intestinal lumen, and free retinol enters the enterocyte, where it is re-esterified. The resulting esters are then packed into chylomicrons delivered via the lymphatic system to the liver, where they are again hydrolyzed and re-esterified for storage. Prior to mobilization from the liver, the retinyl esters are hydrolyzed, and free retinol is complexed with the retinol-binding protein for secretion from the liver [101]. Different esterases are involved in this sequence. Hydrolysis of dietary retinyl esters in the lumen is catalyzed by pancreatic sterol esterase (steryl-ester acylhydrolase, cholesterol esterase, EC 3.1.1.13) [102], A bile salt independent retinyl-palmitate esterase (EC 3.1.1.21) located in the liver cell plasma hydrolyzes retinyl esters delivered to the liver by chylomicrons. Another neutral retinyl ester hydrolase has been found in the nuclear and cytosolic fractions of liver homogenates. This enzyme is stimulated by bile salts and has properties nearly identical to those observed for... 

Cholesteryl esters that are internalized via the LDL receptor are hydrolyzed to produce cholesterol and an acyl chain. Cholesterol, in (urn, activates the enzyme acyl-CoA cholesterol acyl-transferase (ACAT) which re-esterifies cholesterol. In an apparently futile cycle, the cholesteryl esters are hydrolyzed by cholesteryl ester hydrolase. The cholesterol moiety has several fates it may leave the cell and bind to an acceptor such as high-density lipoprotein (HDL), it may be converted to steroid hormones, or it may be reesterified by ACAT. When the cellular cholesterol concentration falls, the activity of HMG-CoA reductase is increased, as is the number of LDL receptors, which results in an increase of cellular cholesterol, due both to de novo synthesis and to the uptake of cholesterol-rich lipoproteins in the circulation. An increase in cellular cholesterol results in the rapid decline in the mRNA levels for both HMG-CoA reductase and the LDL receptor. This coordinated regulation is brought about by the presence of an eight nucleotide sequence on the genes which code for both proteins this is termed the sterol regulatory element-1. 

Modified LDL taken up by the cell are delivered to the endolysosome pathway, where enzymes hydrolyze cholesteryl esters to free cholesterol and fatty acids. The levels of free cholesterol and cholesteryl esters are regulated with the help of neutral cholesteryl ester hydrolase, which converts cholesteryl ester to free cholesterol. After cholesterol leaves the lysosome, it is transported to the ER and to the plasma membrane by means of an intermediate step through the Golgi apparatus. Recycling compartments, especially multivesicular endosomes, harbor most of the cholesterol in the endocytic pathway. The intra-endosomal membranes of multivesicular late endosomes that are enriched in the phospholipids lyso-bisphosphatidic acid/bismonoacylglycerophosphate serve as important regulators of cholesterol transport (Kobayashi et al. 1999 Ikonen 2008). Lysobisphosphatidic acid is structurally... 

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