phosphatidylcholine-sterol o-acyltransferase

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Definition of phosphatidylcholine-sterol o-acyltransferase in English English dictionary

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phosphatidylcholine-sterol O-acyltransferase

Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT, also called phosphatidylcholine-sterol O-acyltransferase) is an enzyme that converts free cholesterol into cholesteryl ester (a more hydrophobic form of cholesterol), which is then sequestered into the core of a lipoprotein particle, eventually making the newly synthesized HDL spherical and forcing the reaction to become unidirectional since the particles are removed from the surface. The enzyme is bound to high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and low-density lipoproteins in the blood plasma