Sterols selective degradation

Selective degradation of tiie sterol side chain... 

If cholesterol repletion simply stopped transcription of the HMG-CoA reductase gene, it would lead to a slow decline in HMG-CoA reductase enzyme activity owing to stability of the protein however, in presence of excess sterols or mevalonate, there is rapid = 3.6 h) (J.R. Faust, 1982) and selective degradation of the enzyme, which results in more precise control of cellular sterol synthesis. 

Bacterial removal of sterol side chains is carried out by a stepwise P-oxidation, whereas the degradation of the perhydrocyclopentanophenanthrene nucleus is prevented by metaboHc inhibitors (54), chemical modification of the nucleus (55), or the use of bacterial mutants (11,56). P-Sitosterol [83-46-5] (10), a plant sterol, has been used as a raw material for the preparation of 4-androstene-3,17-dione [63-05-8] (13) and related compounds using selected mutants of the P-sitosterol-degrading bacteria (57) (Fig. 2). 

Degradation of the sterol stigmasterol to progesterone is achieved by the sequence shown in Figure 5.120. The double bond in the side-chain allows cleavage by ozonolysis, and the resultant aldehyde is chain shortened via formation of an enamine with piperidine. This can be selectively oxidized to progesterone. In this sequence, the ring A transformations are carried out as the... 

The major dietary lipids for humans are animal and plant triacylglycerols, sterols, and membrane phospholipids. The process of lipid metabolism fashions and degrades the lipid stores and produces the structural and functional lipids characteristic of individual tissues. For example, the evolution of a highly organized nervous system has depended on the natural selection of specific enzymes to synthesize and degrade (turn over) the lipids of the brain and central nervous system. 

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