[New aspects of cholesterol in the central nervous system]

Cholesterol is a multifacetted molecule, which serves as essential membrane component, as cofactor for signaling molecules and as precursor for steroid hormones. Despite intense research on the diverse aspects of cholesterol, the role of cholesterol in the nervous system is still little understood. Our recent studies on primary cultures of highly purified neurons from the rodent central nervous system (CNS) suggest that during development, neurons reduce or even abandon cholesterol synthesis and import cholesterol from astrocytes via lipoproteins. Neurons use the glia-derived cholesterol to form numerous and efficient synapses. This provokes new ideas about the role of astrocytes as cholesterol producers and about the function of cholesterol in the CNS and its involvement in neurodegenerative diseases.