Epidemiologic and laboratory studies suggest a cancer protective effect and/or lack of a tumor promoting effect by dietary olive oil as compared with other types of non-marine oils. Squalene, a constituent of olive oil, and a key intermediate in cholesterol synthesis may be regarded as partially responsible for the beneficial effects of olive oil, which include decreased mortality rates among p...

Squalene, an isoprenoid compound structurally similar to beta-carotene, is an intermediate metabolite in the synthesis of cholesterol. In humans, about 60 percent of dietary squalene is absorbed. It is transported in serum generally in association with very low density lipoproteins and is distributed ubiquitously in human tissues, with the greatest concentration in the skin, where it is one of ...

Since the end of the 1991 Gulf War, there have been reports of unexplained, multisymptom illnesses afflicting veterans who consistently report more symptoms than do nondeployed veterans. One of the many possible exposures suspected of causing chronic multisymptom illnesses Gulf War veterans is squalene, thought to be present in anthrax vaccine. We examined the relationship between squalene anti...

Squalene is a natural triterpene and an important intermediate of sterol and hopanoid biosynthesis in various types of cell from bacteria to human. Synthesis and further conversion of squalene are key steps in the metabolism of sterols and related components. Here we summarize the recent knowledge of squalene biochemistry, its molecular properties, and its physiological effects. We compare squa...

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the research and development of sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. Using photosynthetic microorganisms to produce such alternatives is advantageous, since they can achieve direct conversion of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the desired product, using sunlight as the energy source. Squalene is a naturally occurring 30-carbo...

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase plays a crucial role as a master controller in the cellular DNA damage response. Inhibition of ATM leads to inhibition of the checkpoint signaling pathway. Hence, addition of checkpoint inhibitors to anticancer therapies may be an effective targeting strategy. A recent study reported that Wip1, a protein phosphatase, de-phosphorylates serine 1981 of AT...

Serum squalene concentration, which represents the degree of cholesterol synthesis, and other serum and biliary lipids were determined and characteristic abnormalities of lipid metabolism were discussed in patients with gallstones having high serum squalene. The serum squalene concentration was significantly high in patients with pure cholesterol and mixed stones. It remained in normal range in...

In chloroplasts of plants the xanthophyll cycle is suggested to function as a protection mechanism against photodamage. Two enzymes catalyze this cycle. One of them, violaxanthin de-epoxidase, transforms violaxanthin (Vio) to zeaxanthin (Zea) via antheraxanthin (Anth) and is bound to the lumenal surface of the thylakoid vesicles, when being in its active state. The other enzyme, Zea-epoxidase, ...

Earlier studies (Rilling, H. C. (1972) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 46, 470-475) suggested the possibility that a sterol carrier protein participated in the enzymatic conversion of farnesyl pyrophosphate to squalene by liver microsomal membranes. In the present article the possible requirement for soluble proteins in liver 105,000 x g supernatant (Slos) in the enzymatic conversion of farnesyl...

Recent studies have shown that endotoxin (LPS) administration to Syrian hamsters markedly increased hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity, protein mass, and mRNA levels, but only produced a modest increase in hepatic cholesterol synthesis, suggesting that LPS may also influence other key enzymes involved in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism. In the present study, we have examined the effect...