Lecithin—cholesterol acyltransferase

Lecithin—cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT, also called phosphatidylcholine-sterol O-acyltransferase) is an is_associated_with::enzyme that converts free is_associated_with::cholesterol into is_associated_with::cholesteryl ester (a more hydrophobic form of cholesterol), which is then sequestered into the core of a is_associated_with::lipoprotein particle, eventually making the newly synthesized HDL spherical and forcing the reaction to become unidirectional since the particles are removed from the surface. The enzyme is bound to is_associated_with::high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) and is_associated_with::low-density lipoproteins in the is_associated_with::blood plasma.