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Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme

Meaning

The Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme, formally known as Cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme or P450scc, is the rate-limiting and initiating enzyme in the entire steroidogenesis pathway. This mitochondrial enzyme catalyzes the first committed step in the synthesis of all steroid hormones, including glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, and sex hormones. It is an absolutely essential protein that transforms cholesterol, the universal steroid precursor, into pregnenolone. Its activity is tightly regulated by trophic hormones like ACTH and gonadotropins, reflecting its critical position in the endocrine hierarchy.