Gene Helps to Pump Cholesterol Out of Cells

A gene that may play a protective role in preventing heart disease has been identified by a research team at UCLA. Scientists have identified. The gene, called MeXis, acts within key cells inside clogged arteries to help remove excess cholesterol from blood vessels. The study is published in the journal Nature Medicine

In mice, the study found that MeXis controls the expression of a protein that pumps cholesterol out of cells in the artery wall.

Natural Remedies for Cholesterol – How Effective Are They?

Certain natural remedies are effective in controlling high cholesterol, when aided by lifestyle changes.

‘Boosting MeXis levels in mice models with blockages in blood vessels, made cells more effective at removing excess cholesterol.’

Tweet it Now

MeXis is an example of a "selfish" gene, one that is presumed to have no function because it does not make a protein product. However, recent studies have suggested that these so-called "unhelpful" genes can actually perform important biological functions without making proteins and instead producing a special class of molecules called long non-coding RNAs, or lncRNAs.

"What this study tells us is that lncRNAs are important for the inner workings of cells involved in the development of heart disease," said Dr. Peter Tontonoz, senior author of the study. He is also the Frances and Albert Piansky Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Considering many genes like MeXis have completely unknown functions, our study suggests that further exploring how other long non-coding RNAs act will lead to exciting insights into both normal physiology and disease."

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is produced by the body (liver) and is essential for normal body functioning.

In the study, researchers found that mice lacking MeXis had almost twice as many blockages in their blood vessels compared to mice with normal MeXis levels. In addition, boosting MeXis levels made cells more effective at removing excess cholesterol.

In the next phase of the study, researchers will further explore how MeXis affects the function of cells in the artery wall and will test various approaches to altering MeXis activity. The researchers are interested in finding out if MeXis could be targeted for therapy of cardiovascular disease.

"The idea that lncRNAs are directly involved in very common ailments such as plaque buildup within arteries offers new ways of thinking about how to treat and diagnose heart disease," said Dr. Tamer Sallam, the study's lead author. Sallam is an assistant professor in the department of medicine and co-director of UCLA Center for Cholesterol Management. "There is likely a good reason why genes that make RNAs rather than proteins exist. A key question for us moving forward is how they may be involved in health and disease."

Source: Eurekalert

Font : A-A+

Cholesterol - The Enigma Chemical

The word 'Cholesterol' rings danger bells as soon as it is mentioned. This important chemical is important for the normal metabolism of the body and is dangerous only if present in excess.

<< Brain Entropy Could Offer Useful Insight into Human Intellig...

Exercise can Prevent Substance Abuse in Teens >>

High Cholesterol

High cholesterol level in blood are a risk for heart disease and stroke. They get deposited in the wall of the arteries and clog the circulation posing a threat to life.