Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2009 Mar;203(1):1-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2008.06.010. Epub 2008 Jun 20.

Molecular basis of PCSK9 function

Gilles Lambert  1 , Francesca Charlton, Kerry-Anne Rye, Derek E Piper
Affiliations
Review

Molecular basis of PCSK9 function

Gilles Lambert et al. Atherosclerosis. 2009 Mar.

Abstract

The LDL receptor (LDLr) inhibitor Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) has emerged as a genetically validated target for lowering plasma LDL cholesterol levels. In 2007, PCSK9 was found to act as a chaperone that binds the LDLr, thereby targeting it for lysosomal degradation. The enzymatic activity of PCSK9 is not involved in that process, but rather permits proper intramolecular processing of PCSK9. This was demonstrated by both site directed mutagenesis and independent reports of the PCSK9 crystal structure. These reports also elucidated the mode of action of several naturally occurring mutants of PCSK9 associated with hyper- or hypocholesterolemia. The present review summarizes studies published or in print before May 2008 investigating the functional significance of PCSK9 and its promising aspects as a prognostic tool and a drug target.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

LinkOut - more resources