The transport of sterols between membranes in which a sterol molecule is transported through an aqueous phase from the outer leaflet of a donor membrane to the outer leaflet of an acceptor membrane. This process does not require metabolic energy and can be either spontaneous or mediated by lipid transfer proteins (LTPs).
Source:
GOC:krc,
PMID:25797198,
PMID:24220498,
PMID:20823909