title: Functional expression, purification, and characterization of 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/carbonyl reductase from Comamonas testosteroni.
abstract: 3alpha-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3alpha-HSD) catalyzes the oxidoreduction at carbon 3 of steroid hormones and is postulated to initiate the complete mineralization of the steroid nucleus to CO(2) and H(2)O in Comamonas testosteroni. By this activity, 3alpha-HSD provides the basis for C. testosteroni to grow on steroids as sole carbon and energy source. 3alpha-HSD was cloned and overexpressed in E. coli and purified to homogeneity by an affinity chromatography system as His-tagged protein. The recombinant enzyme was found to be functional as oxidoreductase toward a variety of steroid substrates, including androstanedione, 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone, androsterone, cholic acid, and the steroid antibiotic fusidic acid. The enzyme also catalyzes the carbonyl reduction of nonsteroidal aldehydes and ketones such as metyrapone, p-nitrobenzaldehyde and a novel insecticide (NKI 42255), and, based on this pluripotent substrate specificity, was named 3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/carbonyl reductase (3alpha-HSD/CR). It is suggested that 3alpha-HSD/CR contributes to important defense strategies of C. testosteroni against natural and synthetic toxicants. Antibodies were generated in rabbits against the entire 3alpha-HSD/CR protein, and may now be used for evaluating the pattern of steroid induction in C. testosteroni on the protein level. Upon gel permeation chromatography the purified enzyme elutes as a 49.4 kDa protein revealing for the first time the dimeric nature of 3alpha-HSD/CR of C. testosteroni.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Philipps-University of Marburg, Germany. maser@mailer.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maser
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Möbus
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D045002:3-alpha-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase (B-Specific); D000447:Aldehydes / Q000378:metabolism; D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D020604:Comamonas testosteroni / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D019281:Dimerization; D007106:Immune Sera; D007659:Ketones / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000201:enzymology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013256:Steroids / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D000447:Aldehydes; D007106:Immune Sera; D007659:Ketones; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D013256:Steroids; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D045002:3-alpha-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase (B-Specific)