Cholesterol hydroxylation

Vitamin D3 and cholesterol-27 hydroxylation, mitochondrial Structural protein Structural protein Peptide hormone Growth factor Ribosomal protein... 

Cholesterol esters are produced by transferring an acyl moiety from acyl-CoA or from phosphatidylcholine onto the cholesterol hydroxyl group. The latter process is catalyzed by phosphatidylcholine cholesterol acyltransferase ... 

Pravastatin 4 Pravastatin Anti-cholesterol Hydroxylation Streptomyces carbophilus Single-stage fermentation [5]... 

Harroun, T.A., Katsaras, J., Wassail, S.R. Cholesterol hydroxyl group is found to reside in the center of a polyunsaturated lipid membrane. Biochem. 2006, 45, 1227-33. 

Rog, T., Stimson, L.M., Pasenkiewicz-Gierula, M., Vattulainen, I., Karttunen, M. Replacing the cholesterol hydroxyl group with the ketone group facilitates sterol flip-flop and promotes membrane fluidity. J. Phys. Chem. B 2008, 112, 1946-52. 

FIGURE 23.7 An LDL showing a core of cholesterol esters and a shell of phospholipids and unesterified cholesterol (hydroxyl groups exposed), wrapped in an apolipoprotein. The phospholipid head groups and hydrophilic residues of the protein support the water compatibility of the LDL particle. 

Figure 23.7 An LDL showing a core of cholesterol esters and a shell of phospholipids and unesterified cholesterol (hydroxyl groups exposed), wrapped in an apolipoprotein. The phospholipid head groups and hydrophilic residues of the protein support the water compatibility of the LDL particle. (Reprinted with permission of John Wiley Sons, Inc., from Voet, D. and Voet, J. G., Biochemistry, Second Edition. 1995 Voet, D. and Voet, J. G.)...

Once formed cholesterol undergoes a number of biochemical transformations A very common one is acylation of its C 3 hydroxyl group by reaction with coenzyme A derivatives of fatty acids Other processes convert cholesterol to the biologically impor tant steroids described m the following sections... 

A significant fraction of the body s cholesterol is used to form bile acids Oxidation m the liver removes a portion of the CsHi7 side chain and additional hydroxyl groups are intro duced at various positions on the steroid nucleus Cholic acid is the most abundant of the bile acids In the form of certain amide derivatives called bile salts, of which sodium tau rocholate is one example bile acids act as emulsifying agents to aid the digestion of fats... 

Sterols. Sterols (4) are tetracycHc compounds derived biologically from terpenes. They are fat-soluble and therefore are found in small quantities in fats and oils. Cholesterol [57-88-5] (4a) is a common constituent in animal fats such as lard, tallow, and butterfat. The hydroxyl group can be free or esterified with a fatty acid. 

Biochemical Functions. Ascorbic acid has various biochemical functions, involving, for example, coUagen synthesis, immune function, dmg metabohsm, folate metaboHsm, cholesterol cataboHsm, iron metaboHsm, and carnitine biosynthesis. Clear-cut evidence for its biochemical role is available only with respect to coUagen biosynthesis (hydroxylation of prolin and lysine). In addition, ascorbic acid can act as a reducing agent and as an effective antioxidant. Ascorbic acid also interferes with nitrosamine formation by reacting direcdy with nitrites, and consequently may potentially reduce cancer risk. 

An important dmg in the regulation of cholesterol metaboHsm is lovastatin [75330-75-5] which is an HMG—CoA reductase inhibitor (see Cardiovascularagents). p-Hydroxy-p-methyl glutarate—coenzyme A (HMG—CoA) reductase is the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol synthesis. Lovastatin is actually a prodmg, which is eventually hydrolyzed in the Hver to its active, P-hydroxylated form (5). 

In the early 1930 s, when the prime research aim was the commercial synthesis of the sex hormones (whose structures had just been elucidated), the principal raw material available was cholesterol extracted from the spinal cord or brain of cattle or from sheep wool grease. This sterol (as its 3-acetate 5,6-dibromide) was subjected to a rather drastic chromic acid oxidation, which produced a variety of acidic, ketonic and hydroxylated products derived mainly by attack on the alkyl side-chain. The principal ketonic material, 3j -hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one, was obtained in yields of only about 7% another useful ketone, 3 -hydroxypregn-5-en-20-one (pregnenolone) was obtained in much lower yield. The chief acidic product was 3j -hydroxy-androst-5-ene-17j -carboxylic acid. All three of these materials were then further converted by various chemical transformations into steroid hormones and synthetic analogs ... 

There are other ways in which the lateral organization (and asymmetry) of lipids in biological membranes can be altered. Eor example, cholesterol can intercalate between the phospholipid fatty acid chains, its polar hydroxyl group associated with the polar head groups. In this manner, patches of cholesterol and phospholipids can form in an otherwise homogeneous sea of pure phospholipid. This lateral asymmetry can in turn affect the function of membrane proteins and enzymes. The lateral distribution of lipids in a membrane can also be affected by proteins in the membrane. Certain integral membrane proteins prefer associations with specific lipids. Proteins may select unsaturated lipid chains over saturated chains or may prefer a specific head group over others. 

Substituent groups on the steroid ring system can be either axial or equatorial. As with simple cyclohexanes (Section 4.7), equatorial substitution is generally more favorable than axial substitution for steric reasons. The hydroxyl group at C3 of cholesterol, for example, has the more stable equatorial orientation. Unlike what happens with simple cyclohexanes, however, steroids are rigid molecules whose geometry prevents cyclohexane ring-flips. 

CYP7A1 catalyzes the 7a-hydroxylation of cholesterol, the first and rate limiting step of bile acid synthesis. This is also the principal way to eliminate cholesterol. CYP7B1 is primarily expressed in brain and catalyzes the synthesis of various neurosteroids and also the 7a-hydroxylation of oxysterols. 

CYP27A1 catalyzes the side chain oxidation (27-hydroxylation) in bile acid biosynthesis. Because bile acid synthesis is the only elimination pathway for cholesterol, mutations in the CYP27A1 gene lead to abnormal deposition of cholesterol and cholestanol in various tissues. This sterol storage disorder is known as cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. CYP27B1 is the 1-alpha hydroxylase of vitamin D3 that converts it to the active vitamin form. The function of CYP27C1 is not yet known. 

CYP46 hydroxylates cholesterol at the 24-position, a reaction that appears to play a role for cholesterol homeostasis in the brain. 

Cholesterol (Figure 14-17) is widely distributed in all cells of the body but particularly in nervous tissue. It is a major constituent of the plasma membrane and of plasma lipoproteins. It is often found as cholesteryl ester, where the hydroxyl group on position 3 is esteri-fied with a long-chain fatty acid. It occurs in animals but not in plants. 

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