Lecithin Cholesterol Acyltransferase (LCAT)

Lecithin-cholesterol 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.

An unusual feature of the message is that the poly(A) signal appears to overlap the COOH-terminal glutamic acid and stop codons. The protein has several extended sequences of hydrophobic amino acids, one of which is similar to sequences in pancreatic lipase and lingual lipase.