[HTML][HTML] Enrichment of endoplasmic reticulum with cholesterol inhibits sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase-2b activity in parallel with increased order …

Y Li, M Ge, L Ciani, G Kuriakose, EJ Westover… - Journal of Biological …, 2004 - ASBMB
Macrophages in advanced atherosclerotic lesions accumulate large amounts of unesterified,
or" free," cholesterol (FC). FC accumulation induces macrophage apoptosis, which likely
contributes to plaque destabilization. Apoptosis is triggered by the enrichment of the
endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with FC, resulting in depletion of ER calcium stores, and
induction of the unfolded protein response. To explain the mechanism of ER calcium
depletion, we hypothesized that FC enrichment of the normally cholesterol-poor ER …