Cholesterol transport between cellular membranes: A balancing act between interconnected lipid fluxes

Cholesterol represents the most abundant single lipid in mammalian cells. How its asymmetric distribution between subcellular membranes is achieved and maintained attracts considerable interest. One of the challenges is that cholesterol rarely is transported alone, but rather is coupled with heterotypic transport and metabolism of other lipids, in particular phosphoinositides, phosphatidylserine, and sphingolipids. This perspective summarizes the major exo- and endocytic cholesterol transport routes and how lipid transfer proteins at membrane contacts and membrane transport intersect along these routes. It discusses the cotransport of cholesterol with other lipids in mammalian cells and reviews emerging evidence related to the physiological relevance of this process.

Automated summary

This article summarizes the asymmetric distribution of cholesterol in mammalian cells and its co-transport with other lipids, discussing lipid transfer proteins at membrane contacts and membrane transport. It also reviews the physiological evidence related to this process.