ATP Binding Cassette transporters comprise a large family of membrane-spanning proteins that are responsible for transporting a variety of substrates in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The most intriguing and, arguably, the most important membrane proteins for this purpose are the ABC (ATP-Binding Cassette) transporters. These proteins, found in all species, use the energy of ATP hydrolysis to translocate specific substrates across cellular membranes. Many of these transporters are responsible for the translocation of lipophilic substrates such as phospholipids, bile acids, and sterols (Ref.1 & 2).
Sterols in a normal Western diet usually consist of cholesterol (250–500 mg) and noncholesterol sterols (200–400 mg), mainly plant sterols such as sitosterol and also sterols from fish. Dietary sterols including cholesterol and plant sterols, which [...]