LDL Receptor Family in Metabolic Homeostasis, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and Signaling Pathways
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 181
Special Issue Editor
Interests: membrane trafficking; LDL-R family; cell polarity; endocytosis; sorting nexins; sorting signals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The LDL receptor (LDLR) was first discovered in the 1970s by Michael S. Brown and Joseph L. Goldstein, whose pioneering work on cholesterol metabolism earned them the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1985. Their research revealed the critical role of LDLR in cholesterol homeostasis and receptor-mediated endocytosis, laying the foundation for understanding familial hypercholesterolemia and the development of statin drugs. Later, in 1988, Joachim Herz and colleagues identified Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 1 (LRP1), a multifunctional receptor capable of binding a diverse array of ligands, thereby further expanding the understanding of the biological significance of the LDL receptor family.
The LDL receptor family, which includes LDLR, LRP1, LRP2/Megalin, VLDLR, LRP8/ApoER2, LRP5/6, and others, plays a central role in systemic and cellular homeostasis. Beyond their well-known function in lipoprotein transport, these receptors are involved in signaling pathways such as Wnt signaling, calcium signaling, and Reelin signaling. They are essential for processes like receptor-mediated endocytosis, synaptic plasticity, neuroinflammation, and amyloid-beta clearance. Dysfunctions in these receptors are linked to a range of diseases, including familial hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes.
This Special Issue aims to explore the multifaceted roles of the LDL receptor (LDLR) family in regulating lipid metabolism, neurodevelopment, and signaling processes, as well as their implications in metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders.
We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that address the following topics:
- Roles of LDL receptor family members in lipid, glucose, vitamins and fatty acid metabolism and their implications in disease.
- The physiologic roles of the signaling pathways involving LDL receptor family members, including the regulation of membrane trafficking, gene expression and proteostasis.
- Impact of LDL receptor dysfunction on neuroinflammation, blood–brain barrier integrity, and neurodegenerative diseases.
- LDL receptor family's role in neurodevelopmental processes such as neuronal migration, synaptogenesis, and synaptic plasticity and their relevance for neurodevelopmental diseases.
- Therapeutic approaches targeting LDL receptor pathways for metabolic and neurodevelopmental disorders.
- LDL receptor family roles in the gut–brain axis.
Dr. María-Paz Marzolo
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Publisher’s Notice
The Special Issue has been removed from Section Biomacromolecules: Proteins, Nucleic Acids and Carbohydrates on 24 NOVEMBER 2025. At the time of the move, there were no publications in this Special Issue.
Keywords
- LDL receptor family
- lipid metabolism
- cholesterol homeostasis
- neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders
- neurodegeneration
- receptor-mediated endocytosis
- Wnt and reelin signaling pathways
- apolipoproteins
- Alzheimer's disease
- Parkinson's disease
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