title: Biosynthesis of androgen from cortisol by a species of Clostridium recovered from human fecal flora.
abstract: A hitherto unknown species of Clostridium, provisionally designated strain 19, was isolated from the fecal flora of a healthy human adult. This strain synthesizes a constitutive desmolase that cleaves the side chain of cortisol to form 11 beta-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione. The enzymatic conversion is best demonstrated in supplemented peptone broth and in prereduced brain-heart infusion broth. The fecal concentration of strain 19 is 10(7)-10(8) cells/g. The strain adapts with difficulty to growth on Mueller-Hinton agar and Columbia agar base; colony formation is enhanced by the addition of 5% sheep blood. The organism is sensitive to penicillin G and resistant to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, and erythromycin.
mesh_terms: D000735:Androstenedione / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003013:Clostridium / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003470:Culture Media; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism*; D008190:Lyases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D000735:Androstenedione; C003582:11-hydroxyandrostenedione; D008190:Lyases; D010100:Oxygen; D006854:Hydrocortisone