Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase: old friend or foe in atherosclerosis?

Abstract

Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) is a key enzyme that catalyzes the esterification of free cholesterol in plasma lipoproteins and plays a critical role in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism. Deficiency leads to accumulation of nascent preβ-HDL due to impaired maturation of HDL particles, whereas enhanced expression is associated with the formation of large, apoE-rich HDL(1) particles. In addition to its function in HDL metabolism, LCAT was believed to be an important driving force behind macrophage reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) and, therefore, has been a subject of great interest in cardiovascular research since its discovery in 1962. Although half a century has passed, the importance of LCAT for atheroprotection is still under intense debate. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the insights that have been gained in the past 50 years on the biochemistry of LCAT, the role of LCAT in lipoprotein metabolism and the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in animal models, and its impact on cardiovascular disease in humans.

• Authors: Sandra Kunnen, Miranda Van Eck
• Journal: Journal of lipid research (J Lipid Res) Vol. 53 Issue 9 Pg. 1783-99 (Sep 2012) ISSN: 1539-7262 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22566575 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Cholesterol
• Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase

Topics

• Animals
• Atherosclerosis (enzymology, metabolism)
• Biological Transport
• Cholesterol (metabolism)
• Humans
• Lecithin Cholesterol Acyltransferase Deficiency (enzymology)
• Phosphatidylcholine-Sterol O-Acyltransferase (chemistry, genetics, metabolism)