Cholesterol homeostasis: Another twist on eSCAPe from the ER

It is essential for mammalian cells to tightly regulate cholesterol content in their membranes. To this aim, they use a variety of feedback mechanisms that control cholesterol biosynthesis, storage as esters, and import from and export to circulating lipoproteins. The control of cellular cholesterol synthesis involves a fascinating series of regulated membrane-trafficking events. Recently, more details of the underlying mechanism have emerged.