Editing Steroid (section)

=== Mevalonate pathway ===
<!-- Diagram illustrating a metabolic pathway and important for the understanding of the section, therefore prominently placed -->
[[File:Mevalonate pathway.svg|thumb|300px|alt=Chemical flow chart|class=skin-invert-image|Mevalonate pathway]]
{{Main|Mevalonate pathway}}
The mevalonate pathway (also called HMG-CoA reductase pathway) begins with [[acetyl-CoA]] and ends with [[dimethylallyl pyrophosphate|dimethylallyl diphosphate]] (DMAPP) and [[isopentenyl pyrophosphate|isopentenyl diphosphate]] (IPP).

DMAPP and IPP donate [[isoprene]] units, which are assembled and modified to form [[terpene]]s and [[terpenoid|isoprenoids]]<ref name="pmid12735695">{{cite journal | vauthors = Kuzuyama T, Seto H | title = Diversity of the biosynthesis of the isoprene units | journal = Natural Product Reports | volume = 20 | issue = 2 | pages = 171–83 | date = Apr 2003 | pmid = 12735695 | doi = 10.1039/b109860h }}</ref> (a large class of lipids, which include the [[carotenoid]]s and form the largest class of plant [[natural product]]s).<ref name="pmid14517367">{{cite journal | vauthors = Dubey VS, Bhalla R, Luthra R | title = An overview of the non-mevalonate pathway for terpenoid biosynthesis in plants | journal = Journal of Biosciences | volume = 28 | issue = 5 | pages = 637–46 | date = Sep 2003 | pmid = 14517367 | doi = 10.1007/BF02703339 | s2cid = 27523830 | url = http://www.ias.ac.in/jbiosci/sep2003/637.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070415213325/http://www.ias.ac.in/jbiosci/sep2003/637.pdf | archive-date = 15 April 2007 }}</ref> Here, the activated isoprene units are joined to make [[squalene]] and folded into a set of rings to make [[lanosterol]].<ref name="pmid7023367">{{cite journal | vauthors = Schroepfer GJ | title = Sterol biosynthesis | journal = Annual Review of Biochemistry | volume = 50 | pages = 585–621 | year = 1981 | pmid = 7023367 | doi = 10.1146/annurev.bi.50.070181.003101 }}</ref> Lanosterol can then be converted into other steroids, such as cholesterol and [[ergosterol]].<ref name="pmid7023367"/><ref name="pmid7791529">{{cite journal | vauthors = Lees ND, Skaggs B, Kirsch DR, Bard M | title = Cloning of the late genes in the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae—a review | journal = Lipids | volume = 30 | issue = 3 | pages = 221–6 | date = Mar 1995 | pmid = 7791529 | doi = 10.1007/BF02537824 | s2cid = 4019443 }}</ref>

{{anchor|Pharmacological actions}}
Two classes of [[medication|drugs]] target the [[mevalonate pathway]]: [[statin]]s (like [[rosuvastatin]]), which are used to reduce [[hypercholesterolemia|elevated cholesterol levels]],<ref name="pmid21267417">{{cite journal | vauthors = Kones R | title = Rosuvastatin, inflammation, C-reactive protein, JUPITER, and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease—a perspective | journal = Drug Design, Development and Therapy | volume = 4 | pages = 383–413 | date = December 2010 | pmid = 21267417 | pmc = 3023269 | doi = 10.2147/DDDT.S10812 | doi-access = free }}</ref> and [[bisphosphonate]]s (like [[zoledronate]]), which are used to treat a number of bone-degenerative diseases.<ref name="pmid17062705">{{cite journal | vauthors = Roelofs AJ, Thompson K, Gordon S, Rogers MJ | title = Molecular mechanisms of action of bisphosphonates: current status | journal = Clinical Cancer Research | volume = 12 | issue = 20 Pt 2 | pages = 6222s–6230s | date = October 2006 | pmid = 17062705 | doi = 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-06-0843 | s2cid = 9734002 | doi-access =  }}</ref>