Cholesterol Synthesis and Regulation

Cholesterol is a critical component of eukaryotic cell membranes and a precursor of steroid hormones, oxysterols, and bile acids that have important roles in cell signaling and/or lipid absorption. In addition, intermediates in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway are diverted to the synthesis of diverse polyisoprenoids that have important functions in the cell. Thus, it is not surprising that the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway is highly regulated. Drugs, collectively called statins, that inhibit the rate-limiting enzyme of cholesterol synthesis, have been shown to both reduce plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and impair the progression of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.