lanosterol
Quick Summary
Lanosterol is a crucial intermediate in the biosynthesis of steroids in animals and plants. It is derived from the hydrocarbon squalene, which is itself synthesized from acetic acid. In animals, lanosterol is enzymatically transformed into cholesterol, a vital sterol found in all tissues. Cholesterol is then further converted into bile acids and steroid hormones, which play essential roles in the body. While plants also produce lanosterol, they convert it into cholesterol and other steroids, though their specific functions are less understood.12
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- carbonium ionReactions.
…by way of another compound, lanosterol. In this transformation, acid-catalyzed rearrangements—reaction type 6, described earlier—occur repeatedly.
Read More…by way of another compound, lanosterol. In this transformation, acid-catalyzed rearrangements—reaction type 6, described earlier—occur repeatedly.
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steroidCholesterol…structural rearrangement, yields the steroid lanosterol (16c). This enzyme-controlled reaction may be initiated by introduction of a positive charge into the oxide ring, because it is remarkably similar to the nonenzymic, acid-catalyzed cyclizations of certain unsaturated hydrocarbons similar in structure to squalene. Cholesterol (16d) is formed from lanosterol by further…
Read More…structural rearrangement, yields the steroid lanosterol (16c). This enzyme-controlled reaction may be initiated by introduction of a positive charge into the oxide ring, because it is remarkably similar to the nonenzymic, acid-catalyzed cyclizations of certain unsaturated hydrocarbons similar in structure to squalene. Cholesterol (16d) is formed from lanosterol by further…
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