title: Biosynthesis of cholestanol: 5-alpha-cholestan-3-one reductase of rat liver.
abstract: The 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase of rat liver which catalyzes the conversion of 5alpha-cholestan-3-one to 5alpha-cholestan-3beta-ol is localized mainly in the microsomal fraction. The enzyme required NADPH as hydrogen donor and differed from the known 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases of the C(19) series in being inactive in the presence of NADH. The microsomal preparations did not reduce the 3-keto groups of cholest-4-en-3-one, cholest-5-en-3-one, or 5beta-cholestan-3-one to the corresponding 3beta-hydroxy compounds. The conversion of 5alpha-cholestan-3-one to 5alpha-cholestan-3beta-ol was only slightly inhibited by the reaction product or by other monohydroxy steroids, but a strong inhibitory effect was noted with cholest-5-en-3-one, 5alpha-cholestane-3beta, 7alpha-diol and 5alpha-cholestan-7-on-3beta-ol. The microsomes, but not high speed supernatant solution, catalyzed the reverse of the cholestanone reductase reaction, namely the conversion of 5alpha-cholestan-3beta-ol to 5alpha-cholestan-3-one in the presence of oxygen and an NADP-generating system. The action of the microsomal preparations upon 5alpha-cholestan-3-one produced 5alpha-cholestan-3alpha-ol in addition to the 3beta-epimer. The 3-alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase involved functioned with either NADH or NADPH as hydrogen donor. The ratio of 5alpha-cholestan-3beta-ol to 5alpha-cholestan-3alpha-ol formed from 5alpha-cholestan-3-one was approximately 10:1 and was independent of the sex of the animal from which the microsomes were prepared.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002845:Chromatography; D005260:Female; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D009243:NAD / Q000494:pharmacology; D009249:NADP / Q000494:pharmacology; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D012723:Sex; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D013256:Steroids; D009243:NAD; D009249:NADP; D010088:Oxidoreductases