title: Reflections on sterol sidechain cleavage process catalyzed by cytochrome P450(scc).
abstract: The essay examines the evidence upon which the presently accepted version of the mechanism of the cytochrome P450(scc)-catalyzed-cleavage of the sidechain of cholesterol is based. This analysis indicates that the generally held view of the process (two consecutive hydroxylations, followed by cleavage of the resulting glycol) most likely does not describe the true mechanism. The available evidence can not be used to support this traditional notion. Two alternative hypotheses are proposed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute for Health Sciences, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, 432W 58th Street, New York, NY 10019, USA. sizz@columbia.edu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lieberman
authors.forename: Y Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006016:Glycolates / Q000737:chemistry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism; D013261:Sterols / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D006016:Glycolates; D013261:Sterols; C031149:glycolic acid; D002784:Cholesterol; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme; D010100:Oxygen