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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Cholesterol Efflux Assay
Published on: March 6, 2012
High Cholesterol/Low Cholesterol: Effects in Biological Membranes: A Review
Witold K Subczynski1, Marta Pasenkiewicz-Gierula2, Justyna Widomska3
1Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA. subczyn@mcw.edu.
Abstract:
Lipid composition determines membrane properties, and cholesterol plays a major role in this determination as it regulates membrane fluidity and permeability, as well as induces the formation of coexisting phases and domains in the membrane. Biological membranes display a very diverse lipid composition, the lateral organization of which plays a crucial role in regulating a variety of membrane functions. We hypothesize that, during biological evolution, membranes with a particular cholesterol content were selected to perform certain functions in the cells of eukaryotic organisms. In this review, we discuss the major membrane properties induced by cholesterol, and their relationship to certain membrane functions.
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