Cholesterol content and metabolism in normal and polyoma virus-transformed hamster embryo fibroblasts.

Abstract The total cholesterol content of normal hamster embryo fibroblasts and polyoma virus-transformed hamster embryo fibroblasts were found to be similar. However, the free cholesterol: cholesterol ester ratio was 41.5 in normal cells as contrasted to 1.8 in their transformed counterparts. This difference is due in part to an increase in cholesterol esterification and a decrease in the hydrolysis of cholesterol esters in the transformed cell.