sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)

Function

• SREBP activates transcription from genes with promoters or enhancers containing the sterol regulatory elements
• SREBP regulates accumulation of cholesterol by cells
• in the presence of excess sterols, SREBP is maintained as an inactive precursor in the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum.
• sterol loss activates a processing pathway in which SREBP is transported to the GOLGI where it is cleaved by proteases to release the amino-terminal 1/2 of the protein from the membrane- bound precursor; this is facilitated by the SREBP cleavage activating protein (SCAP)
• the cleaved SREBP then migrates to the nucleus to activate transcription of genes with promoters/enhancers containing a sterol regulatory element.
• genes containing sterol regulatory elements include:
• the LDL receptor gene
• genes encoding enzymes of cholesterol biosynthesis

More general terms

• transcription factor (TF)

More specific terms

• sterol regulatory element binding protein-2 (SREBP2)
• sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1; SREBP-1; sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 [contains: processed sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1] (SREBF1, SREBP1)

Additional terms

• sterol regulatory element-binding protein cleavage-activating protein; SREBP cleavage-activating protein; SCAP (SCAP, KIAA0199, PSEC0227)