Cell Metab. 10, 63–75 (2009)

In an attempt to uncover genes that regulate cholesterol levels in cells, a team of researchers has used a bevy of screening approaches and identified transmembrane protein 97 (TMEM97) as a new candidate for cholesterol regulation.

The researchers, led by Rainer Pepperkok and Heiko Runz of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, and the medical faculty of the University of Heidelberg, depleted cholesterol from cells and looked at the response in gene expression. They then performed literature searches and used RNA-silencing techniques to further narrow down their results.

The team focused on TMEM97 because it is highly expressed in sterol-depleted cells and is targeted by sterol-response-element binding proteins, which also activate other cholesterol regulatory genes. Knocking down its expression led to decreased cholesterol uptake and lowered cholesterol levels in cells. The authors suggest that their combined screening technique offers a powerful method for pinpointing genes in particular pathways.