Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Blood-brain Barrier00:49

The Blood-brain Barrier

Overview
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation01:29

Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation

Although not a source of energy, cholesterol plays a significant role as a foundational structure for bile salts, steroid hormones, and vitamin D, as well as being a crucial component of plasma membranes. Approximately 15% of blood cholesterol is derived from our diet, with the remainder synthesized from acetyl CoA by the liver and intestines. Cholesterol is eliminated from the body through its conversion into bile salts, which are eventually discarded in the feces.
Considering cholesterol and...
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology01:23

Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology

Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...
Nervous Tissue: Myelin01:25

Nervous Tissue: Myelin

The myelin sheath is a multilayered lipid and protein covering that insulates the axon of a neuron, enhancing the speed of nerve impulse conduction. Axons without this sheath are referred to as unmyelinated. Two types of neuroglia, Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) are responsible for producing myelin sheaths.
Schwann cells begin to form myelin sheaths around axons during fetal development. They wrap around a small...
Cerebrospinal Fluid01:21

Cerebrospinal Fluid

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a colorless liquid that flows around the brain and the spinal cord, playing a vital role in the protection, support, and overall function of the central nervous system (CNS). CSF production, circulation, and absorption are tightly regulated processes essential for the brain and spinal cord to function properly.
CSF Production
CSF is produced mainly in the choroid plexus, a network of capillaries and ependymal cells located within the ventricular system of the brain.
Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body01:31

Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body

Fats and lipids are crucial components in the human body. Some lipid-derived compounds, such as fat-soluble vitamins, eicosanoids, lipoproteins, and glycolipids, also play unique roles to support various  biological processes .
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are required in minimal quantities, but their deficiencies can lead to severely abnormal physiological conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin, delayed...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Bilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy for congenital adrenal hyperplasia with severe hypertension, resulting from two novel mutations in splice donor sites of CYP11B1.

The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism·2000
Same author

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) expression is strongly induced by ACTH in adrenocortical cells.

Journal of cellular physiology·1999
Same author

[Interactions between steroidogenic cells and capillary endothelial cells in the adrenal gland].

Pathologie-biologie·1999
Same author

Calcium and S100B regulation of p53-dependent cell growth arrest and apoptosis.

Molecular and cellular biology·1998
Same author

Cysteine oxidation in the mitogenic S100B protein leads to changes in phosphorylation by catalytic CKII-alpha subunit.

The Journal of biological chemistry·1998
Same author

The in vitro phosphorylation of p53 by calcium-dependent protein kinase C--characterization of a protein-kinase-C-binding site on p53.

European journal of biochemistry·1997

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Visualization of Amyloid β Deposits in the Human Brain with Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Imaging Mass Spectrometry
09:31

Visualization of Amyloid β Deposits in the Human Brain with Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Imaging Mass Spectrometry

Published on: March 7, 2019

The cholesterol side-chain cleavage complex in human brain white matter.

C Goascogne1, M Gouézou, P Robel

  • 1INSERM U 33, Communications Hormonales and Faculté de Médicine, Université Paris-Sud, F-94275 Bicêtre Cedex, France.

Journal of Neuroendocrinology
|February 13, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Specific antibodies revealed that key enzymes for steroid production are present in human brain white matter. This suggests oligodendrocytes produce neurosteroids, expanding our understanding of brain steroidogenesis.

More Related Videos

Enrichment of Detergent-insoluble Protein Aggregates from Human Postmortem Brain
09:35

Enrichment of Detergent-insoluble Protein Aggregates from Human Postmortem Brain

Published on: October 24, 2017

Consensus Brain-derived Protein, Extraction Protocol for the Study of Human and Murine Brain Proteome Using Both 2D-DIGE and Mini 2DE Immunoblotting
10:51

Consensus Brain-derived Protein, Extraction Protocol for the Study of Human and Murine Brain Proteome Using Both 2D-DIGE and Mini 2DE Immunoblotting

Published on: April 10, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Visualization of Amyloid β Deposits in the Human Brain with Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Imaging Mass Spectrometry
09:31

Visualization of Amyloid β Deposits in the Human Brain with Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Imaging Mass Spectrometry

Published on: March 7, 2019

Enrichment of Detergent-insoluble Protein Aggregates from Human Postmortem Brain
09:35

Enrichment of Detergent-insoluble Protein Aggregates from Human Postmortem Brain

Published on: October 24, 2017

Consensus Brain-derived Protein, Extraction Protocol for the Study of Human and Murine Brain Proteome Using Both 2D-DIGE and Mini 2DE Immunoblotting
10:51

Consensus Brain-derived Protein, Extraction Protocol for the Study of Human and Murine Brain Proteome Using Both 2D-DIGE and Mini 2DE Immunoblotting

Published on: April 10, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neurobiology
  • Biochemistry
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Steroidogenic enzymes are crucial for hormone synthesis.
  • Neurosteroids, synthesized within the nervous system, play vital roles in brain function.
  • Previous studies indicated steroidogenic activity in rat oligodendrocytes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and localization of key steroidogenic enzymes in the human brain.
  • To determine if human oligodendrocytes exhibit steroidogenic activity.
  • To explore the implications for neurosteroid metabolism in the human brain.

Main Methods:

  • Generation of specific antibodies against bovine cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzymes (cytochrome P-450scc), adrenodoxin, and adrenodoxin-reductase.
  • Immunohistochemical analysis of human brain tissue, specifically the cerebellum.
  • Co-localization studies of the targeted enzymes within brain cells.

Main Results:

  • The three key steroidogenic enzymes were found to be co-localized in the white matter of the human cerebellum.
  • Evidence suggests these enzymes are present in human oligodendrocytes.
  • The findings support the existence of intrinsic steroidogenic activity in these glial cells.

Conclusions:

  • Human oligodendrocytes possess the enzymatic machinery for steroidogenesis.
  • The concept of neurosteroids, derived from cholesterol metabolites, is applicable to the human brain.
  • This study provides a basis for understanding cholesterol metabolism and steroid signaling in human brain cells.