title: Perspectives in understanding the role of human 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases in health and disease.
abstract: Steroid signaling involves specific receptors that mediate genomic effects and many further proteins responsible for fast nongenomic activities. Metabolism at the position 17 of the steroid scaffold plays a pivotal role in the final regulation of the biological potency of steroid hormones. Enzymes responsible for that, the 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17beta-HSD), act as carbonyl reductases and require cofactors for their catalytic activity. There is a substantial amount of evidence that human 17beta-HSDs are as well involved in the metabolic pathways of retinoids and fatty acid beyond that which has so far been anticipated. At present fourteen 17beta-HSDs have been annotated and characterized, and more might follow. Many of 17beta-HSDs have been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of human disorders and are targets for therapeutic intervention. Strategies on deciphering the physiological role of the 17beta-HSD and the genetic predisposition for associated diseases will be presented involving analyses of animal models.
authors.affiliation: Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Genome Analysis Center, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adamski
mesh_terms: D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013256:Steroids / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids; D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases