Although the 'selective' pathway is a major cholesteryl ester (CE) uptake pathway used by steroidogenic cells, essentially nothing is known about the itinerary of the CE once it is extracted from lipoproteins at the cell surface. In the current report we have begun to trace 'selective' pathway internalized-CE using both native and reconstituted human (h) high density lipoproteins (hHDL3) with variously labeled and tagged CEs to provide information from either a biochemical or morphological perspective. It appears that the amount of hHDL3-CE that is internalized and processed through the 'selective' pathway is directly related to the amount of cholesterol used for steroidogenesis at any given time point. There is a time-related correlation between the level of the Bt2cAMP-stimulated cell steroidogenic response, the level of conversion of freshly obtained hHDL3-CE into progestins, increases in hHDL3-derived CE internalization, hHDL3-CE hydrolysis, re-esterification and/or storage. None of this processing takes place in non-stimulated (non-Bt2cAMP treated) cells which do not secrete progestins despite the availability of hHDL3 as a cholesterol source. The data suggest that the 'selective' pathway has a special role in steroidogenic cells-one of providing sufficient cholesterol to fuel the required production of steroid hormones.