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Cholesterol and Sitosterol, Two Members of the Steroid Family That Differ in Structure by a Single Ethyl Group Yet Maintain the Right Balance between Plant and Animal Kingdoms

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Abstract

Cholesterol and sitosterol are two members of the steroid family, which molecular structures differ only by the presence of an ethyl substituent at the position 24 of the steroid skeleton. Cholesterol is mainly synthesized in large quantities in the liver of animals and only in small quantities by plants. In contrast sitosterol is only synthesized by plants. This tiny difference of an ethyl group between the two steroids structures have induced profound effects on the climatic changes during evolution, but plant sterols still have important effects on cholesterol metabolism on humans.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille (IBDM), Aix-Marseille-University and CNRS-UMR 7288 from France are acknowledged for financial support. A. Le Bivic and L. Kodjabachian, IBDM–CNRS Marseille directors, are greatly acknowledged for facilities offered.

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  1. Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille (IBDM), UMR-7288 CNRS-Aix Marseille University Campus de Luminy, Case 907, 13288, Marseille Cedex, France

    Jean-Louis Kraus

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  1. Jean-Louis Kraus
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Correspondence to Jean-Louis Kraus.

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This article does not contain any studies involving human participants performed by any of the authors and does not contain any studies involving animals performed by any of the authors.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Corresponding author: phone: + (33) 04-13-94-24-25; e-mail: jean-louis.kraus@univ-amu.fr.

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Jean-Louis Kraus Cholesterol and Sitosterol, Two Members of the Steroid Family That Differ in Structure by a Single Ethyl Group Yet Maintain the Right Balance between Plant and Animal Kingdoms. Russ J Bioorg Chem 46, 869–872 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S106816202005012X

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