Acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase, cytosolic

ACAT2 (acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase, cytosolic) is a 397-amino acid enzyme involved in the biosynthetic pathway of cholesterol (UniProt: Q9BWD1). It catalyzes acetyl-CoA condensation reactions central to lipid metabolism in the cytosol.

ACAT2 is expressed across multiple tissues and participates in cholesterol homeostasis, a critical process for cellular membrane integrity and signaling. No specific tissue dysfunction or non-AD disease associations are documented in UniProt records for this protein.

ACAT2 is upregulated in Alzheimer's Disease brain tissue. Analysis of post-mortem AD brain versus age-matched controls using TMT-labeled proteomics across four subcellular fractions (P2, P3, S2, S3) demonstrated increased ACAT2 abundance with a mean log₂FC of +0.48 (Chaparral AD proteomics). This elevation suggests altered cholesterol metabolism may be involved in AD pathophysiology, potentially reflecting compensatory or pathogenic lipid remodeling in affected brain regions.