• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.242-247
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• 1991

- Since steroid $\Delta^1$-dehydrogenase synthesis has been known to be inducible, the mechanism of the enzyme induction of Arthrobacter simplex IAM 1660 was investigated. Among various steroids tested for inducers, hydrocortisone was the most effective inducer when hydrocortisone was used as a substrate for steroid $\Delta^1$-dehydrogenase. Steroid $\Delta^1$-dehydrogenase synthesis was effectively induced by progesterone, prednisolone and androstenedione, while the enzyme was less induced by cholesterol and not by phytosterols. The results suggest that the presence of 3-keto group and short side chain of steroids are the favorable factors for the induction of the $\Delta^1$-dehydrogenase synthesis. The enzyme was induced at the highest level when hydrocortisone was added at early log phase to the concentration of 0.01% of the culture and the culture was grown for 15 hours.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.142-144
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• 1996

To clone the gene coding for steroid $\Delta^1$-dehydrogenase of Arthrobacter simplex, its genomic library was constructed with a , $\lambda$gt11 expression vector and immunoscreened with antiserum against the enzyme. One positive clone was found to carry a 1.6-kb EcoR I restriction endonuclease fragment of A. simplex DNA. The restriction map of the 1.6-kb EcoR I fragment was determined after cloning of the DNA into pBS vector.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.119-125
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• 1994

Steroid $\Delta^1$-dehydrogenase purified from hydrocortisone-induced cells of Arthrobacter simplex converted various 3-ketosteroids into their corresponding $\Delta^1$-dehydrogenated products. The transformation efficiencies depend upon the chemical structure of the steroids, especially length of the side chain at 17 position and hydroxyl groups at 11 and 17 positions. The Km values for androstenedione, the most favorable substrate examined, and hydrocortisone were 74 ${\mu}M$ and 294 ${\mu}M$, respectively. The optimum temperature and pH of the enzyme reaction were 35$^{\circ}C$ and pH 9, respectively, and the enzyme was relatively stable at the range from 20 to 35$^{\circ}C$ and from pH 5 to 10 after one hour of incubation. The enzyme activity was markedly inhibited in the presence of $Cu^{2+},\;Fe^{3+},\;Hg^{2+},\;Mo^{6+}$ ions, and somewhat inhibited by $Zn^{2+}$ and $Fe^{2+}$. $\alpha,\alpha'$-Dipyridyl that inhibits 9$\alpha$-hydroxylase and accumulates 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione from sterols revealed no inhibitory effect on this enzyme. EGTA showed inhibitory effect. $\beta$-Estradiol competitively inhibited the enzyme activity. Chemical modifications of the enzyme were attempted with several reagents. p-Hydroxymer-curibenzoate showed inhibition of the enzyme activity and protection of the substrate. This suggests that cysteine residue may be involved in the active site of the enzyme.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.181-187
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• 1993

Steroid $\Delta^1$-dehydrogenase which introduces a double bond into the 1, 2 positions of steroid ring A was purified from Arthrobacter simplex, an excellent biotransformer of hydrocortisone into prednisolone. Hydrocortisone-induced cells were disrupted by vigorous agitation with glass beads, and a solubilized enzyme was obtained after centrifugation at 100, 000$\times$g for 90 minutes. The enzyme was purified 123-fold in three steps of chromatographic procedures with 13% yield. The last step of testosterone-agarose affinity column decisively contributed to the successful purification. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 98, 000 by SDS-PAGE and 100, 000 by gel filtration, indicating that this enzyme behaves as a monomer. The enzyme showed demands for artificial electron acceptor, and among the several reagents tested, phenazine methosulfate acted as the most effective electron acceptor. Subcellular distribution of this enzyme was studied by centrifugation experiment. Comparison of the enzyme activities in pelleted membrane and cytosol fractions suggests that the enzyme may be a weakly attached peripheral membrane protein in vivo. But considerable amounts of enzyme was solubilized without any additional treatments for membrane protein.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1980

As part of our endeavor to increase the productivity of steroid by enzymatic transformation of corticosteroids, attempts have been made to increase the solubility of steroids by using some organic solvents. When the solubility of steroids is the rate limiting factor in the steroid transformation, it was found that the use of solvents significantly improved the yield. Hydrocorisone as a substrate and 3-ketosteroid .DELTA.$^{1}$ dehydrogense as an immobilized whole cell enzyme were employed as the model system for this study. It was found that the yield of product, prodnisolone, goes through a maximum with an increase in the solvent concentration. At a high solvent concentration, the solvent showed a toxic effect and it causes a decrease in the product yield by the second order inhibition mechanism. Among the solvents evaluated, methanol and ethanol were found to be the best. These alcohols are not only good solvents but also showed minimal toxic effect. Based on the experimental results, it was concluded that the productivity of steroid can be increased by usign well selcted solvents systems for the enzymatic transformation of steroids.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.175-183
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• 2023

The epididymal fat is a type of gonadal adipose tissue, which is localized closely to the testis. Even though it has been suggested that the epididymal fat is necessary for maintenance of spermatogenesis in the testis, the influence of epididymal fat on expression of testicular steroidogenic enzymes has not been examined. In the present research, expressional changes of steroidogenic enzymes in the mouse testis after 2 weeks of the surgical partial lipectomy of epididymal fat at different postnatal ages were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. The transcript levels of all molecules at 2 months of postnatal age were significantly increased by the lipectomy of epididymal fat. However, the lipectomy at 5 months of postnatal age resulted in decreases of expression levels of all molecules examined in the testis. Except a reduced transcript level of hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase 3, there were no significant changes of expression levels of other steroidogenic enzymes by the lipectomy at 8 months of postnatal age. At 12 months of postnatal age, the lipectomy caused a significant increase of transcript level of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and a significant decrease of transcript level of hydroxy-delta-5-steroid dehydrogenase, 3 beta- and steroid delta-isomerase 1, without any expressional change of cytochrome P450 side chain cleavage, hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase 3, and hydroxysteroid 17-beta dehydrogenase 3 in the testis. These findings suggest that the substances derived from epididymal fat could differentially influence on expression of steroidogenic enzymes in the testis during postnatal period.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.525-528
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• 1997

Steroid $9{\alpha}$.-hydroxylase is a key enzyme system in steroid nucleus degradation in company with ${\Delta}$-dehydrogenase. To examine $9{\alpha}$-hydroxylase activity during microbial transformation of steroids, 9(11)-dehydro-$17{\alpha}$-methyl-testosterone was adopted as a stable substrate for preventing the rupture of steroid nucleus. Using Nocardia restrictus ATCC 14887 capable of introducing a $9{\alpha}$-hydroxyl group into steroids, $9{\alpha}$,$11{\alpha}$-oxido-$17{\beta}$-hydroxy-$17{\alpha}$-methyl-4-androstene-3-one and $9{\alpha}$-hydroxyl group into steroids,$9{\alpha}$,$11{\alpha}$-oxido-$17{\beta}$-hydroxy-$17{\alpha}$-methyl-1,4-androstadiene-3- one were obtained. These microbiologically transformed products could be used as reference compounds in the enzyme assay.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.167-171
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• 1977

A new assay method for delta-l-dehydrogenated-3-ketoco-rticosteroid in the presence of proteinous material or whole-cell-enzyme and 3-ketocorticosteroid has been developed. This method makes use of the linear relationship between the ratio of absorbances at 265 nm and at 242 nm and the fractional concentration of delta-1-3-ketosteroid. Theoretical values were calculated based on the absorbances of proteinous material at fixed concentrations of the 3-ketosteroid and delta-1-dehydrogenated-3-ketosteroid. The values obtained experimentally showed good agreement with the values obtained experimentally showed good agreement with the values theoretically predicted. The new assay method developed for the steroid mixtiure containing proteinous material is of some practical importance. The use of such assay method enables one to determine the enzyme activity and the rate of enzyme reaction or conversion rather quickly, easily and accurately. By the use of this assay method, the reaction kinetics of whole-cell-enzyme has also been studied. It was found that it followed the simple Michaelis-Menten type enzyme kinetics. Also the reversibility of this reaction with actively metabolizing cell was examined. It was found that delta-l-dehydrogenated-3-ketosteroid could not be hydrogenated reversibly to 3-ketosteroid by this enzyme system.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2009

The antifertility activity of methanol extract of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. stem (MECR) and Corchorus olitorius Linn. seed (MECO) were studied on male Swiss albino mice. The extracts were found to decrease sperm count, percentage of motile sperm and testosterone level in treated mice when compared with vehicle control after 17 days of treatment. The weight of gonads, epididymis were decreased whereas no significant changes of the body weight of mice were observed after methanol extract treatments. The fertility test showed 100% negative result in MECR and MECO treated mice at medium and high dose level of treatment. MECR and MECO in low (25 mg/kg and 15 mg/kg, respectively), medium (50 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, respectively) and high (75 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg, respectively) dose level caused a simultaneous fall in testicular ${\Delta}5$-$3{\beta}$-hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities which are involved in testicular steroidogenesis. Total cholesterol and ascorbic acid content in testis were increased significantly in gonads. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase and ascorbic acid oxidase were reduced whereas that of carbonic anhydrase was increased significantly in the testis of MECR and MECO treated mice. All these observations indicate that the methanol extract of C. reflexa stem and C. olitorius seed produced antifertility activity in sexually matured male mice, which may be due to inhibition of gonadal steroidogenesis. This activity may be attributed due to the presence of flavonoids and steroids, respectively.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4393-4398
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• 2013

Background: Chromosomal translocations are genetic aberrations associated with specific non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) subtypes. This study investigated the differential gene expression profile of Egyptian NHL cases based on a microarray approach. Materials and Methods: The study included tissue samples from 40 NHL patients and 20 normal lymph nodes used as controls. Total RNA was extracted and used for cDNA microarray assays. The quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction was used to identify the aberrantly expressed genes in cancer. Results: Significant associations of 8 up-regulated and 4 down-regulated genes with NHL were observed. Aberrant expression of a new group of genes not reported previously was apparent, including down-regulated NAG14 protein, 3 beta hydroxy-delta 5-c27 steroid oxi-reductase, oxi-glutarate dehydrogenase (lipo-amide), immunoglobulin lambda like polypeptide 3, protein kinase x linked, Hmt1, and caveolin 2 Tetra protein. The up-regulated genes were Rb binding protein 5, DKFZP586J1624 protein, protein kinase inhibitor gamma, zinc finger protein 3, choline ethanolamine phospho-transferase CEPT1, protein phosphatase, and histone deacetylase-3. Conclusions: This study revealed that new differentially expressed genes that may be markers for NHL patients and individuals who are at high risk for cancer development.