The Long Pathway to Cell Organization and Growth

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Sterols, such as cholesterol in our bodies or ergosterol in yeast cells, are among the most abundant lipids in eukaryotic cells, yet are synthesized through notoriously long, complex metabolic pathways. Researchers from UC San Diego and the NIH have used a novel combination of cell biology, in vitro biochemistry and molecular computer simulations to show that in yeast, this pathway shapes the ergosterol to balance its interactions with other lipids. This balancing act allows for the formation of membrane domains — self-assembling structures that are believed to organize proteins in cell membranes.

The work tests and revises a 50-year old textbook model, known as the Bloch hypothesis, for the evolution of sterol metabolism in eukaryotic cells. The results indicate that the complexity of sterol metabolism could have resulted from the need to balance lipid interactions required for membrane organization