Molecular flypaper and atherosclerosis: structure of the macrophage scavenger receptor.

Macrophage scavenger receptors have been implicated both in the deposition of lipoprotein cholesterol in artery walls during the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and in host defense against pathogenic infections. The receptor's unusual ability to bind tightly to a very wide variety of ligands and its novel mosaic structure comprising alpha-helical coiled-coil, collagenous and cysteine-rich domains are described.