Lanosterol 14 alpha-demethylase (CYP51) - a cholesterol biosynthetic enzyme involved in production of meiosis activating sterols in oocytes and testis - a minireview

CYP51 is an evolutionarily conserved, housekeeping gene of the cytochrome P 450 superfamily which is involved in cholesterol biosynthesis in animals. T he two intermediates of cholesterol biosynthetis pathway, sterol FF-MAS, pr oduced by CYP51 and the following sterol T-MAS, accumulate: in follicular f luid and in testis. CYP51 is expressed in all tissues in mammals with the h ighest level in the testis. In rat, expression peaks in postmeiotic male ge rm cells of the testis. Promoters of the human and fat CYP51 genes contain SRE and CRE elements which indicate two main regulatory routes - the sterol -dependent regulation and the cAMP-dependent regulation. While feedback reg ulation by sterols is characteristic for all genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and homeostasis, the cAMP-dependent regulation is unique, indi cating that CYP51 may play tissue-specific roles distinct from cholesterol biosynthesis.