Progesterone synthesis by luteal mitochondria in vitro.
Mitochondria were prepared from bovine corpora lutea by differential centrifugation and were purified by isopycnic zonal centrifugation. A marked increase in specific cytochrome oxidase activity and a marked decrease in specific DNA and RNA content indicate that the procedure resulted in a highly purified preparation of mitochondria. These organelles had a higher rate of conversion of [4-14C] cholesterol to [4-14C] progesterone than did mitochondria separated only by differential centrifugation, suggesting that luteal mitochondria contain the enzyme systems required for progesterone synthesis.
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D011374:Progesterone; D002784:Cholesterol