Localization of acyl coenzyme A : cholesterol acyltransferase gene to human chromosome 1q25

Acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) is an intracellular enzyme that catalyzes the formation of cholesterol esters from cholesterol and long-chain fatty acyl-coenzyme A. It is believed that ACAT plays a key role in lipoprotein metabolism and atherogenesis. Recently our laboratory succeeded in molecular cloning and functional expression of human macrophage ACAT cDNA. We have now mapped the ACAT gene to chromosome 1, band q25 by using fluorescence in situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes, and by Southern blotting analysis of human--hamster somatic cell hybrid panels.