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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Cholesterol Efflux Assay
Published on: March 6, 2012
Cholesterol uptake is dependent on membrane fluidity in mycoplasmas
Abstract:
The transfer of elaidate-enriched Acholeplasma laidlawii cells in culture from 37 degrees C to 4 degrees C virtually arrested exogenous cholesterol incorporation into the cell membrane. Cholesterol uptake continued, though at a slower rate, in oleate-enriched A. laidlawii cells undergoing similar temperature shift-down. It is concluded that the incorporation of exogenous cholesterol into the cell membrane of living mycoplasmas is rapid when the membrane lipid bilayer is in the liquid-crystalline state and very slow when the lipid bilayer is in the gel state.
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