[Department of sterol biochemistry]

The Department of Steroid Biochemistry headed by Professor Vendt Volodymir Petrovich, Doctor of Biological Sciences (1906-1993) was created on the basis of the Department of Photobiochemistry in 1976. At that time the Department was headed by Kokunin Vasyl Andriyovich, Candidate of biological sciences, till 1990. Professor Yu.D.Kholodovais, Doctor of biological sciences, is the head of the department today. Study of action mechanism of low-molecular-weight biologically active substances of steroid nature (cholesterol, cholecalciferol, ecdysterone) under normal and pathological conditions (atherosclerosis, rickets) as well as the development of scientific grounds of production of new drugs used both in medicine and agriculture are the basic purposes of the Department. The department is engaged in: 1) the study of biosynthetic processes of de novo cholesterol and its precursors in different tissues and cells of the organism; 2) the elucidation of the role of sterols as the components of membrane structure in different cells as well as the study of cholesterol absorption processes in the intestine and the search of a hypocholesterolemic agents; 3) the study of localization and biological properties of vitamin D-dependent proteins in order to elucidate their role in intestinal calcium transport; 4) the investigation of different classes of blood plasma composition of intestine and liver lipoproteins (LP), their structural, functional properties and frequency of occurrence; 5) the search of highly effective biostimulators of steroid nature, the elucidation of their action mechanisms and elaboration of new preparations on their basis for medicine and agriculture. Sterols are components of lipids with cyclopentanoperhydrofenantren molecular structure. Cholesterol is the basic animal and human organism sterol. A new complicated, multi-step method of cholesterol biosynthesis and participation of a number of enzymes and cofactors in it have been studied (V. Vendt, R. Morozova, I. Nikolenko, Visnyk AN URSR, 1978). Cholesterol is the major component of cell membrane structures which determines their structure and permeability. The interest to study a new method of cholesterol biosynthesis regulation arises from the reason that cholesterol pools in membranes participate in such diseases as rachitis, atherosclerosis, arterial coronal disease, different forms of cholecystitis, etc. It is established that the nature, rate and intensity of de novo cholesterol biosynthesis depend on types of cells, tissues and organs, taking into account the functional state of final compounds in these biosystems under normal conditions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)