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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: Fertil Steril. 2015 May 5;104(2):286–291. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.04.001

Figure 3.

Figure 3

Role of NPAS2 in connection with CLOCK family member proteins. A hypothetical model demonstrates NPAS2 interacts with BMAL1 and functions by acting on promoter region of Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein (StAR). StAR is essential for the rate-limiting step in the transport of free cholesterol from the cytoplasm into mitochondria. A series of enzymatic steps in the mitochondria of steroidogenic tissues convert cholesterol into all of the other steroid hormones such as testosterone.