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Aster Proteins Facilitate Nonvesicular Plasma Membrane to ER Cholesterol Transport in Mammalian Cells.

Cell | 2018

The mechanisms underlying sterol transport in mammalian cells are poorly understood. In particular, how cholesterol internalized from HDL is made available to the cell for storage or modification is unknown. Here, we describe three ER-resident proteins (Aster-A, -B, -C) that bind cholesterol and facilitate its removal from the plasma membrane. The crystal structure of the central domain of Aster-A broadly resembles the sterol-binding fold of mammalian StARD proteins, but sequence differences in the Aster pocket result in a distinct mode of ligand binding. The Aster N-terminal GRAM domain binds phosphatidylserine and mediates Aster recruitment to plasma membrane-ER contact sites in response to cholesterol accumulation in the plasma membrane. Mice lacking Aster-B are deficient in adrenal cholesterol ester storage and steroidogenesis because of an inability to transport cholesterol from SR-BI to the ER. These findings identify a nonvesicular pathway for plasma membrane to ER sterol trafficking in mammals.

Pubmed ID: 30220461 RIS Download

Associated grants

  • Agency: NIGMS NIH HHS, United States
    Id: T32 GM008042
  • Agency: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, United Kingdom
    Id: BB/M011801/1
  • Agency: NCRR NIH HHS, United States
    Id: S10 RR019232
  • Agency: NHLBI NIH HHS, United States
    Id: R01 HL136618
  • Agency: Wellcome Trust, United Kingdom
    Id: WT100237
  • Agency: NIGMS NIH HHS, United States
    Id: R01 GM115553
  • Agency: Wellcome Trust, United Kingdom
  • Agency: NIDDK NIH HHS, United States
    Id: R01 DK100627
  • Agency: NHLBI NIH HHS, United States
    Id: R01 HL066088
  • Agency: NIGMS NIH HHS, United States
    Id: T34 GM008563
  • Agency: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, United Kingdom
    Id: BB/P003818/1
  • Agency: NHLBI NIH HHS, United States
    Id: T32 HL069766

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