Cholesterol 7-alpha-hydroxylase (CYP7A1)
Cofactors used
Clinical / pharmacological. Rate-limiting for bile acid synthesis; up-regulated by bile acid sequestrants
What it does, reaction by reaction
Bile Acid Synthesis Lipid Metabolism · ER + mitochondrion + peroxisome
Cholesterol + O2 + NADPH -> 7-alpha-hydroxycholesterol
Converts Cholesterol O2 NADPH into 7-Alpha-hydroxycholesterol
› Notes
Rate-limiting and committed step of the classic (neutral) pathway; feedback-inhibited by bile acids returning via FXR/FGF19, and induced when bile acids are sequestered by resins.
Lipoprotein Metabolism (Exogenous and Endogenous Pathways: chylomicrons, VLDL, LDL, HDL) Lipid Metabolism · Intestine, liver, plasma, capillary endothelium
Hepatic cholesterol → bile acids/free cholesterol → biliary secretion or enterohepatic recycling
Converts Cholesterol into Bile acid
› Notes
Liver disposes of cholesterol by secretion into bile and by conversion to bile acids, initiated by cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1). This terminal stage completes reverse cholesterol transport and is a major route of cholesterol elimination from the body.
Showing all 2 reactions.
What accelerates and inhibits it
Regulation is pathway-specific, so each context is listed separately
No regulation recorded for this enzyme in the source documents.
Recent literature
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