testis meiosis-activating sterol

Testis meiosis-activating sterol (T-MAS), also known as 4,4-dimethylzymosterol or 14-demethyllanosterol, is an endogenous sterol intermediate in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway (specifically the Bloch pathway). It is synthesized from follicular fluid meiosis-activating sterol (FF-MAS) and is subsequently metabolized by methylsterol monooxygenase 1 (MSMO1, also known as SC4MOL) to zymosterol. T-MAS acts as an endogenous agonist of the liver X receptors (LXRα and LXRβ). In addition to its physiological role in triggering the resumption of oocyte meiosis and spermatogenesis, T-MAS has been investigated for its potential therapeutic applications in oncology. Research indicates that T-MAS can independently induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and activate the unfolded protein response (UPR) via the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of breast cancer cells and organoids to chemotherapy drugs such as paclitaxel and carboplatin.

Other names

14-demethyllanosterol14-norlanosterol4,4-dimethyl-5alpha-cholest-8,24-diene-3beta-ol4,4-dimethylzymosterolT-MAS