Biochem/Physiol Actions | Cholesterol esterase (CE) is a reversible enzyme that can hydrolyze or synthesize fatty acid esters of cholesterol and other sterols. Hydrolysis of water insoluble long chain fatty acid esters requires bile salt activation. Hydrolysis of water soluble esters of short chain fatty acids and lysophospholipids does not require activation by bile salts. It also hydrolyzes tri-, di-, and mono-acylglycerols, phospholipids, lysophospholipids, and ceramide. This monomeric glycoprotein may have multiple functions in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, as well as in atherosclerosis. Its molecular mass is found to be 84 kDa. |
Application | Cholesterol esterase bound to membrane-associated heparin on brush border membranes aids in the transport of cholesterol and free fatty acid across the membrane. This enzyme is widely used in the determination of serum cholesterol in clinical laboratories. The enzyme from Sigma has been used to evaluate the inhibitory and antioxidant functions of the methanol extract of the Camellia sinensis leaves under in vitro conditions. The enzyme has also been used to digest human serum samples to confirm the presence and position of acyl esters of 7α-hydroxycholesterol. Enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of many of the fatty acid esters of cholesterol. Optimum pH range: 6-8 Activators: Bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, cAMP-dependent protein kinase type II, ethanol, methanol, n-butanol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, sodium taurocholic acid Inhibitors: Bisphenol A methacrylate, diisopropylfluorophosphate, enolase, Hg2+, sodium fluoride, phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine |
