OBJECTIVE The ATP-binding cassette transporter, subfamily A, member 1 (ABCA1) plays a key role in HDL cholesterol metabolism. However, the role of ABCA1 in modulating susceptibility to atherosclerosis is controversial. METHODS AND RESULTS We investigated the role of ABCA1 in atherosclerosis using a combination of overexpression and selective deletion models. First, we examined the effect of t...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The ATP-binding cassette transporter A-1 (ABCA1) gene is a key target of the transcription factors liver X receptors. Liver X receptor activation has anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in animal ischemic stroke models. Here, we tested the hypothesis that brain ABCA1 reduces blood-brain barrier (BBB) and white matter (WM) impairment in the ischemic brain after s...

Cholesterol-loaded macrophage foam cells are a central component of atherosclerotic lesions. ABCA1, the defective molecule in Tangier disease, mediates the efflux of phospholipids and cholesterol from cells to apoA-I, reversing foam cell formation. In ABCA1, we identified a sequence rich in proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine (PEST sequence) that enhances the degradation of ABCA1 by c...

ABCA1 is a cholesterol transporter that is widely expressed throughout the body. Outside the central nervous system (CNS), ABCA1 functions in the biogenesis of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), where it mediates the efflux of cholesterol and phospholipids to apolipoprotein (apo) A-I. Deficiency of ABCA1 results in lack of circulating HDL and greatly reduced levels of apoA-I. ABCA1 is also express...

OBJECTIVE The ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) protein maintains cellular cholesterol homeostasis in several different tissues. In the liver, ABCA1 is crucial for high-density lipoprotein biogenesis, and in the pancreas ABCA1 can regulate insulin secretion. In this study, our aim was to identify novel microRNAs that regulate ABCA1 expression in these tissues. APPROACH AND RESULTS W...

OBJECTIVE We previously demonstrated that subjects with functional ATP-binding cassette (ABC) A1 mutations have increased atherosclerosis, which has been attributed to the role of ABCA1 in reverse cholesterol transport. More recently, a proinflammatory effect of Abca1 deficiency was shown in mice, potentially contributing to atherogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether ABCA1 deficiency...

The ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) facilitates the cellular release of cholesterol and choline-phospholipids to apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and several studies indicate that vesicular transport is associated with ABCA1 function. Syntaxins play a major role in vesicular fusion and have also been demonstrated to interact with members of the ABC-transporter family. Therefore, we focus...

ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) transporter regulates cholesterol efflux and is an essential mediator of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) formation. In amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice, Abca1 deficiency increased amyloid deposition in the brain paralleled by decreased levels of Apolipoprotein E (ApoE). The APOEε4 allele is the major genetic risk factor of sporadic Alzhe...

An increased activity of ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC) A1 has been proposed as a mechanism underlying the hypocholesterolaemic effect of phytosterols. In the present study, ABCA1-deficient mice (ABCA1-/- mice) were used to examine the involvement of the ABCA1 in the reduction of intestinal cholesterol absorption in response to a phytosterol-enriched diet. A decrease in intestinal chole...