Disclosed herein are compositions, methods, and systems for enhancing cholesterol degradation in a cell, tissue, or organism. In many embodiments, the disclosure describes the use of one or more proteins, or sequences coding therefor, to enhance flow of cholesterol into the mitochondrion, where the cholesterol is degraded by one or more proteins comprising bacteria-related sequences. The compositions, methods, and systems disclosed herein are useful in the prevention or treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions associated with high levels of cholesterol in the blood or cells of a patient.