The collaborative study was conducted by investigators at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Indiana University and the Eli Lilly Co.
"Dap1 controls the activity of a clinically important class of enzymes required for cholesterol synthesis and drug metabolism," said Johns Hopkins Assistant Professor Peter Espenshade. "We're excited because, although we originally identified this protein in yeast, humans not only have the same protein, but it works the same way."