Description
Product Characteristics: Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein (STAR) controls the rate-limiting step of steroidegenesis by translocating cholesterol from the outer mitochondrial membrane to the inner membrane where it is later cleaved to pregnenolone.It is primarily present in steroid-producing cells, including Leydig cells in the testis, theca cells and luteal cells in the ovary and adrenal cells in the adrenal cortex. Due to low levels of pregnenolone, seminomas and Leydig cell tumors display no specific STAR staining. Therefore, STAR antibody may assist in differentiating sex cord stromal tumors (SCST), seminomas and embryonal carcinomas.
Target Information: The protein encoded by this gene plays a key role in the acute regulation of steroid hormone synthesis by enhancing the conversion of cholesterol into pregnenolone. This protein permits the cleavage of cholesterol into pregnenolone by mediating the transport of cholesterol from the outer mitochondrial membrane to the inner mitochondrial membrane. Mutations in this gene are a cause of congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia (CLAH), also called lipoid CAH. A pseudogene of this gene is located on chromosome 13. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]