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. 2021 Nov 2;65(5):813–845. doi: 10.1042/EBC20200067

Figure 13. Synthesis of cholesterol and isoprenoids.

Figure 13

Cholesterol synthesis begins with acetyl CoA and the rate-limiting enzyme is HMG CoA reductase (3-Hydroxy-3-MethylGlutaryl Coenzyme A Reductase) (coloured red). Statins inhibits this enzyme. More than 20 enzymes are involved in cholesterol synthesis and only a few key steps are shown here. Cholesterol can be esterified to cholesterol ester by the enzyme, acyl CoA cholesterol acyl transferase (ACAT). The intermediate farnesyl-PP is a 15-carbon isoprenoid that can be converted into the 20-carbon Geranyl-Geranyl-PP isoprenoid. Both are used for the modification of proteins by prenylation (see Section, ‘Lipid modification of proteins’).