Abstract

We have studied the movement of low density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived cholesterol in cultured Chinese hamster ovary cells. Our hypothesis is that when LDL cholesterol is effluxed from lysosomes, the bulk of LDL cholesterol is mobilized to the plasma membrane, while another pathway delivers LDL cholesterol from lysosomes to acyl-CoA/cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) in the endoplasmic reticulum. Three lines of evidence support this model. First, LDL cholesterol transport to ACAT can be blocked without inhibiting the movement of cholesterol from lysosomes to plasma membrane or from plasma membrane to endoplasmic reticulum. Second, LDL cholesterol transport to ACAT is normal in a Chinese hamster ovary mutant with defective plasma membrane-to-ACAT movement. Third, LDL cholesterol is not diluted by the plasma membrane cholesterol pool before reaching ACAT. Our evidence supports a vesicular model of cholesterol transport from lysosomes to the endoplasmic reticulum that is independent of the plasma membrane.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.