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CHOLESTROL
Cholesterol- Biochemical
Importance
• Cholesterol is the major sterol in the animal tissues.
• Cholesterol is present in tissues and in plasma either as free
cholesterol or as a storage form, combined with a long-chain
fatty acid as cholesteryl ester.
• In plasma, both forms are transported in lipoproteins.
• Plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the vehicle of uptake
of cholesterol and cholesteryl ester into many tissues.
• Free cholesterol is removed from tissues by plasma high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) and transported to the liver, where it is
eliminated from the body either unchanged or after conversion to
bile acids in the process known as reverse cholesterol
transport .
Cholesterol- Biochemical
Importance
• Cholesterol is the most abundant sterol in humans
• It is a major constituent of the plasma membrane and of plasma
lipoproteins.
• It is a precursor of bile salts.
• It is a precursor of steroid hormones that include adrenocortical
hormones, sex hormones, placental hormones etc. Also a
precursor of vitamin D.
• It is required for the nerve transmission.
• Cholesterol is a major constituent of gallstones.
• It has chief role in pathologic processes as a factor in the genesis
of atherosclerosis of vital arteries, causing cerebrovascular,
coronary, and peripheral vascular disease.
Sources
• Cholesterol is derived from
Diet
•Mevalonate
is phosphorylated
sequentially by ATP
by three Kinases.
•After decarboxylation
(Figure 26–2) the
active isoprenoid unit,
isopentenyl
diphosphate,is
formed.
Step3: Condensation of six
isoprenoid units form squalene
• Squalene (C30) is synthesized from six molecules of
Isopentenyl Pyrophosphate (C5) and the reaction
sequence is:
C5 C10 C15 C30
• Isopentenyl diphosphate is isomerized by a shift of the
double bond to form dimethylallyl diphosphate, then
condensed with another molecule of isopentenyl
diphosphate to form the ten-carbon (C10) intermediate
geranyl diphosphate.
Step3: Condensation of six
isoprenoid units form squalene
(C10)
(C15)
(C30)
Step3: Condensation of six
isoprenoid units form squalene