Biosynthesis and transformation of 20α 21-dihydroxycholesterol by rat adrenal preparations

Abstract The biosynthesis of [ 3 H]-20α, 21 dihydroxycholestderol from [ 3 H]-20α-hydroxycholesterol and its transformation to [ 3 H]-21-hydroxypregnenolone by rat adrenal preparations has been demonstrated. 20α-Hydroxycholesterol was transformed to 20α, 21-dihydroxycholesterol by microsomal preparations in the presence of NADPH and 20α-21-dihydroxycholesterol was metabolized to 21-hydroxypregnenolone by mitochondrial preparations in the presence of a NADPH-generating-system. Comparison of the Michaelis-Menten-Kinetics of the steps “20α, 21-dihydroxycholesterol → 21-hydroxycholesterol” and “20α-hydroxycholesterol → pregnenolone” revealed that both compounds behaved as analogue substrates of…