Abstract-The scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) is a lipoprotein receptor that has been shown to be important in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) metabolism in mice. To determine its role in humans, we have characterized the human SR-BI gene and investigated its genetic variation in 489 white men and women. Five variants were demonstrated: 2 in introns (3 and 5) and 3 in exons (1, 8, and 11). Three variants at exons 1 and 8 and intron 5 with allele frequencies Ͼ0.1 were used to examine associations with lipid or anthropometric variables. The exon 1 variant was significantly (PϽ0.05) associated with increased HDL-C and lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) values in men, but no associations were observed in women. The exon 8 variant was associated in women with lower LDL-C concentrations (3.05Ϯ0.98 mmol/L and 3.00Ϯ0.93 mmol/L for heterozygotes and homozygotes, respectively) compared with women homozygous for the common allele T he scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) is a multilipoprotein receptor found in the liver and steroidogenic glands of both mice 1 and humans 2,3 (for a review, see Reference 4). The cDNA for human SR-BI (also known as CLA-1) was originally cloned by homology to human CD36 and rat LIMPII, which are members of a family of transmembrane proteins. 5 An independent expression cloning study identified the hamster homologue by its ability to mediate the binding of modified LDL, and it was also shown to bind native LDL. 6 Subsequently, murine SR-BI was shown to mediate the uptake of lipid, but not apoprotein, from HDL into cells, 1 a process described as selective uptake. [7][8][9] This finding established SR-BI as the first HDL transmembrane receptor to be identified and cloned. Further studies of the human homologue demonstrated that it also is a multilipoprotein receptor that binds HDL, LDL, and VLDL. 2,10 Further analysis in vivo in mice and rats has supported a role for SR-BI in cholesterol metabolism. Targeted disruption of apoAI, the major protein component of HDL, leads to an increase in SR-BI expression in the adrenal glands of mice, 11 where HDL-C is used for steroid hormone synthesis. In addition, SR-BI expression levels in the adrenal glands are increased in response to adrenocorticotropic hormone and decreased in response to dexamethasone. 12 Estrogen treatment at high doses in rats greatly reduces SR-BI expression in the liver while it increases SR-BI expression in the adrenal gland and ovarian corpus luteal cells. 13 Transient overexpression of SR-BI in the livers of mice by adenoviral infection leads to a marked reduction in plasma HDL levels and a concomitant increase in plasma LDL/IDL cholesterol levels. 14 Finally, targeted disruption of the SR-BI gene in mice leads to a significant increase in plasma HDL 15,16 and reduced selective uptake of cholesterol from HDL into the liver. 16 Thus, SR-BI has clearly been shown to be a very important player in HDL metabolism in mice. However, although mice have HDL as the major cholesterol-carrying lipopr...