title: The Lipid Transfer Protein StarD7: Structure, Function, and Regulation.
abstract: The steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein-related lipid transfer (START) domain proteins constitute a family of evolutionarily conserved and widely expressed proteins that have been implicated in lipid transport, metabolism, and signaling. The 15 well-characterized mammalian START domain-containing proteins are grouped into six subfamilies. The START domain containing 7 mRNA encodes StarD7, a member of the StarD2/phosphatidylcholine transfer protein (PCTP) subfamily, which was first identified as a gene overexpressed in a choriocarcinoma cell line. Recent studies show that the StarD7 protein facilitates the delivery of phosphatidylcholine to the mitochondria. This review summarizes the latest advances in StarD7 research, focusing on the structural and biochemical features, protein-lipid interactions, and mechanisms that regulate StarD7 expression. The implications of the role of StarD7 in cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica-Centro de Investigaciones en Bioquímica Clínica e Inmunología, X5000HUA Córdoba, Argentina. sgenti@fcq.unc.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Jésica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flores-Martin
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rena
authors.forename: Sofía
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Angeletti
authors.forename: Graciela M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Panzetta-Dutari
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Genti-Raimondi