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]

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

* 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. (2012) Mevalonate kinase deficiency, a metabolic autoinflammatory disease. Clin. Immunol.,  [Epub ahead of print]. [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 (Former curator)