Cited by 399Cholesterol and Lipid MetabolismSteroid Chemistry and BiochemistryMitochondrial Function and Pathology

Cholesterol transport in steroid biosynthesis: Role of protein–protein interactions and implications in disease states

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Rone, Malena B., Fan, Jinjiang, Papadopoulos, Vassilios·2009·Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids

Abstract

The transfer of cholesterol from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane is the rate-limiting step in hormone-induced steroid formation. To ensure that this step is achieved efficiently, free cholesterol must accumulate in excess at the outer mitochondrial membrane and then be transferred to the inner membrane. This is accomplished through a series of steps that involve various intracellular organelles, including lysosomes and lipid droplets, and proteins such as the translocator protein (18 kDa, TSPO) and steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) proteins. TSPO, previously known as the peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor, is a high-affinity drug- and cholesterol-binding mitochondrial protein. StAR is a hormone-induced mitochondria-targeted protein that has been shown to initiate cholesterol transfer into mitochondria. Through the assistance of proteins such as the cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory subunit Ialpha (PKA-RIalpha) and the PKA-RIalpha- and TSPO-associated acyl-coenzyme A binding domain containing 3 (ACBD3) protein, PAP7, cholesterol is transferred to and docked at the outer mitochondrial membrane. The TSPO-dependent import of StAR into mitochondria, and the association of TSPO with the outer/inner mitochondrial membrane contact sites, drives the intramitochondrial cholesterol transfer and subsequent steroid formation. The focus of this review is on (i) the intracellular pathways and protein-protein interactions involved in cholesterol transport and steroid biosynthesis and (ii) the roles and interactions of these proteins in endocrine pathologies and neurological diseases where steroid synthesis plays a critical role.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.bbalip.2009.03.001

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Authors
Rone, M. B., Fan, J., & Papadopoulos, V.
Affiliations
  • Georgetown University Medical Center (US)
  • Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (CA)
Corresponding author
Papadopoulos, Vassilios
Venue
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-07
Volume
1791
Issue
7
Pages
646-658
ISSN
1388-1981 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1999924432
Cited by
399
References
161
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 28 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 35
FWCI
4.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (R01ES007747, ES 07747)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD37031, R01HD037031)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Cholesterol and Lipid Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Steroid Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
Keywords
cholesterol transport, steroidogenesis, translocator protein (TSPO), protein-protein interaction, mitochondrial outer membrane, ACBD3, lysosomes, lipid droplets, endocrine disorders, neurological disorders
MeSH terms
Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein, Biological Transport, Carrier Proteins, Cell Membrane, Cholesterol, Endocrine System Diseases, Humans, Nervous System Diseases, Phosphoproteins, Protein Binding, Steroids, Receptors, GABA, Mitochondrial Proteins, Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing

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