SOAT1
Description
The SOAT1 (sterol O-acyltransferase 1) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 1.
Sterol O-acyltransferase 1 (SOAT1) is an enzyme encoded by the SOAT1 gene in humans. It is an intracellular protein located in the endoplasmic reticulum, responsible for forming cholesterol esters from cholesterol. SOAT1 is a polytopic integral membrane protein belonging to the membrane-bound O-acyltransferase (MBOAT) superfamily. While its structure has not been solved, the structure of DltB, a bacterial MBOAT, suggests a complex arrangement of multiple transmembrane domains (TMDs). SOAT1's TMDs contain unusual features, such as multiple charged residues within the lipid bilayer, which can complicate their integration into the membrane and require specialized chaperones. The ER membrane protein complex (EMC), a molecular chaperone and insertase, has been identified as potentially assisting SOAT1 biogenesis.
SOAT1 catalyzes the formation of fatty acid-cholesterol esters, which are less soluble in membranes than cholesterol. This enzyme plays a role in lipoprotein assembly and dietary cholesterol absorption. SOAT1 preferentially utilizes oleoyl-CoA ((9Z)-octadecenoyl-CoA) as a substrate, showing higher activity towards an acyl-CoA substrate with a double bond at the delta-9 position (9Z) than towards saturated acyl-CoA or an unsaturated acyl-CoA with a double bond at the delta-7 (7Z) or delta-11 (11Z) positions.
SOAT1 is also known as ACACT, ACAT, ACAT-1, ACAT1, SOAT, STAT.
