Lanosterol is a precursor for cholesterol, which is synthesized primarily in the liver in a pathway often described as the mevalonate or HMG-CoA reductase pathway. The first two steps (formation of acetoacetyl CoA and the mitochondrial generation of (S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA) are also associated with oxidation of fatty acids.

* Key recommended reading is highlighted with an asterisk

Miziorko HM. (2011) Enzymes of the mevalonate pathway of isoprenoid biosynthesis. Arch Biochem Biophys, 505 (2): 131-43. [PMID:20932952]

* Moutinho M, Nunes MJ, Rodrigues E. (2017) The mevalonate pathway in neurons: It's not just about cholesterol. Exp Cell Res, 360 (1): 55-60. [PMID:28232115]

* Mullen PJ, Yu R, Longo J, Archer MC, Penn LZ. (2016) The interplay between cell signalling and the mevalonate pathway in cancer. Nat Rev Cancer, 16 (11): 718-731. [PMID:27562463]

* Ness GC. (2015) Physiological feedback regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis: Role of translational control of hepatic HMG-CoA reductase and possible involvement of oxylanosterols. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1851 (5): 667-73. [PMID:25701719]

* Porter TD. (2015) Electron Transfer Pathways in Cholesterol Synthesis. Lipids, 50 (10): 927-36. [PMID:26344922]

Rozman D, Monostory K. (2010) Perspectives of the non-statin hypolipidemic agents. Pharmacol Ther, 127 (1): 19-40. [PMID:20420853]

* Samaras K, Brodaty H, Sachdev PS. (2016) Does statin use cause memory decline in the elderly?. Trends Cardiovasc Med, 26 (6): 550-65. [PMID:27177529]

Seiki S, Frishman WH. (2009) Pharmacologic inhibition of squalene synthase and other downstream enzymes of the cholesterol synthesis pathway: a new therapeutic approach to treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Cardiol Rev, 17 (2): 70-6. [PMID:19367148]

van der Burgh R, Ter Haar NM, Boes ML, Frenkel J. (2013) Mevalonate kinase deficiency, a metabolic autoinflammatory disease. Clin Immunol, 147 (3): 197-206. [PMID:23110805]

Zhang H, Temel RE, Martel C. (2014) Cholesterol and lipoprotein metabolism: Early Career Committee contribution. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 34 (9): 1791-4. [PMID:25142876]

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Helen E. Benson (Past curator) Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences Room 338 Hugh Robson Building George Square Edinburgh EH8 9XD UK