Episterol
Encyclopedia
Episterol is a sterol
involved in the biosynthesis
of steroids. Episterol is converted from 24-methylenelophenol. Episterol is converted to 5-dehydroepisterol
by the enzyme
lathosterol oxidase
. Episterol is also known to be a precursor to ergosterol
.
Sterol
Sterols, also known as steroid alcohols, are a subgroup of the steroids and an important class of organic molecules. They occur naturally in plants, animals, and fungi, with the most familiar type of animal sterol being cholesterol...
involved in the biosynthesis
Biosynthesis
Biosynthesis is an enzyme-catalyzed process in cells of living organisms by which substrates are converted to more complex products. The biosynthesis process often consists of several enzymatic steps in which the product of one step is used as substrate in the following step...
of steroids. Episterol is converted from 24-methylenelophenol. Episterol is converted to 5-dehydroepisterol
5-Dehydroepisterol
5-Dehydroepisterol is a sterol and an intermediate in steroid biosynthesis, particularly synthesis of brassinosteroids. It is formed from episterol through action of the enzyme lathosterol oxidase, and is then converted into 24-methylenecholesterol by 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase.Episterol and...
by the enzyme
Enzyme
Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
lathosterol oxidase
Lathosterol oxidase
In enzymology, a lathosterol oxidase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThe 5 substrates of this enzyme are 5alpha-cholest-7-en-3beta-ol, NADH, NADPH, H+, and O2, whereas its 4 products are cholesta-5,7-dien-3beta-ol, NAD+, NADP+, and H2O....
. Episterol is also known to be a precursor to ergosterol
Ergosterol
Ergosterol is a sterol found in fungi, and named for ergot, a common name for the members of the fungal genus Claviceps from which ergosterol was first isolated. Ergosterol does not occur in plant or animal cells...
.