What is the Origin of Translocator Protein?

The protein was initially discovered in the 1970s due to its affinity for benzodiazepine drugs, leading to its original name, PBR. The name was later changed to 'Translocator Protein' (TSPO) to more accurately reflect its function in moving cholesterol across the mitochondrial membranes. Its role as a key element in the synthesis of all steroid hormones is now firmly established in endocrinology.

What is the Mechanism of Translocator Protein?

TSPO forms a complex with other proteins on the mitochondrial membrane, acting as a channel or shuttle. Its function is to bind cholesterol on the outer membrane and transport it into the inner membrane space, where the first and rate-limiting enzyme in steroidogenesis, cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), is located. The efficiency of this cholesterol transport, mediated by TSPO, directly regulates the overall production rate of hormones like cortisol, testosterone, and progesterone.

Translocator Protein

Meaning

A highly conserved 18 kDa protein, formerly known as the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR), primarily located on the outer mitochondrial membrane of various cell types, including glial cells, steroidogenic cells, and immune cells. Its primary physiological role is the rate-limiting step in steroid hormone biosynthesis, facilitating the transport of cholesterol from the outer to the inner mitochondrial membrane. This protein is a critical component of the steroidogenic cascade and a marker of neuroinflammation.

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