300px, Cholesterol oleate, a member of the cholesteryl ester family
Cholesteryl ester, a dietary
lipid, is an
ester of
cholesterol. The ester bond is formed between the
carboxylate group of a
fatty acid and the
hydroxyl group of
cholesterol. Cholesteryl esters have a lower solubility in water due to their increased
hydrophobicity. Esters are formed by replacing at least one –OH (hydroxyl) group with an –O–alkyl (alkoxy) group. They are hydrolyzed by pancreatic enzymes, cholesterol esterase, to produce cholesterol and free fatty acids. They are associated with
atherosclerosis.
Cholesteryl ester is found in human brains as lipid droplets which store and transport
cholesterol.
Increased levels of cholesteryl ester have been found in certain parts of the brain of people with
Huntington disease. Higher concentrations of cholesteryl ester have been found in the
caudate and
putamen, but not the
cerebellum
The cerebellum (Latin for "little brain") is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as or even larger. In humans, the cerebel ...
, of people with Huntington Disease compared with levels in controls.
["Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute Researchers Report on Findings in Huntington Disease (Cholesteryl ester levels are elevated in the caudate and putamen of Huntington's disease patients) (Cholesteryl ester levels are elevated in ...)." ''Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week'', 2020, p. 2684. ''Gale Academic OneFile'', link.gale.com/apps/doc/A643924682/AONE?u=cuny_hunter&sid=AONE&xid=6782d457. Accessed 2 May 2021.] Increase in cholesteryl ester has also been found in other neurological disorders like
multiple sclerosis
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
and
Alzheimer’s disease.
See also
*
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), also called plasma lipid transfer protein, is a plasma protein that facilitates the transport of cholesteryl esters and triglycerides between the lipoproteins. It collects triglycerides from very-low-de ...
*
Cholesteryl ester storage disease
*
Acyl CoA cholesteryl acyltransferase
Sterol O-acyltransferase (also called Acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase, Acyl-CoA cholesterin acyltransferase or simply ACAT) is an intracellular protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum that forms cholesteryl esters from cholesterol.
...
(ACAT)
*
Lecithin–cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT)
References
Carboxylate esters
Steroids
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