4075-20-1

The incubation of testosterone 1 with Ulocladium chartarum MRC 72584 has been reported. U. chartarum MRC 72584 hydroxylated testosterone 1 at C-7β, C-6β, C-14α and C-12β, accompanied by a 5α-reduction and oxidations at C-6 and at C-17.

Four fungi, namely, Rhizopus oryzae ATCC 11145, Mucor plumbeus ATCC 4740, Cunninghamella echinulata var. elegans ATCC 8688a, and Whetzelinia sclerotiorum ATCC 18687, were subjected to entrapment in calcium alginate, and the beads derived were used in the biotransformation of the steroids 3β,17β-dihydroxyandrost-5-ene (1) and 17β-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one (2). Incubations performed utilized beads from two different encapsulated fungi to explore their potential for the production of metabolites other than those derived from the individual fungi. The investigation showed that steroids from both single and crossover transformations were typically produced, some of which were hitherto unreported. The results indicated that this general technique can be exploited for the production of small libraries of compounds.

The microbial transformations of testosterone and testosterone heptanoate by four fungi: Absidia griseolla var. igachii PTCC 5260, Acremonium chrysogenu PTCC 5271, Fusarium fujikuroi PTCC 5144, and Fusarium solani complex PTCC 5285 were investigated for the first time. Incubation of testosterone heptanoate with F. fujikuroi and F. solani yielded three metabolites, which were isolated and characterized as testosterone, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, and 6β-hydroxy testosterone. 6β-Hydroxy testosterone was the major metabolite obtained from testosterone heptanoate biotransformation by two fungal species. A. griseolla and A. chrysogenu produced 14α-hydroxy testosterone as major metabolite, together with testosterone and 6β-hydroxy testosterone in lower yields. The biotransformation of testosterone by F. fujikuroi and A. griseolla was also investigated in order to examine the influence of the ester group on the course of transformation. Androst-4-ene-3,17-dione was only identified in the biotransformation of testosterone by F. fujikuroi. The same product was observed in incubation of testosterone by A. griseolla, together with 14α-hydroxy testosterone in very low yield. Furthermore, time course study was also carried out in order to examine the formation of metabolites as a function of time, which was determined by HPLC. The structures of compounds were determined by their comprehensive spectroscopic analysis and comparison with literature data.

In this work, incubations of testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and pregnenolone with Mucor hiemalis MRC 70325 have been reported. Incubation of testosterone afforded androst-4-en-3,17-dione (3%), 14a-hydroxyandrost- 4-en-3,17-dione (9%), 6β-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3,17-dione (2%) and 14a,17β-dihydroxyandrost-4-en-3-one (62%). Incubation of dehy droepiandrosterone afforded 3β,17β-dihydroxyandrost-5-ene (6%) and 3β,7α-dihydroxyandrost-5- en-17-one (72%). Incubation of pregnenolone afforded 3β,14a-dihydroxypregn-5-en-7,20-dione (3%), 3β,7α- dihydroxypregn- 5-en-20-one (64%) and 3β,7α,11α- trihydroxypregn-5-en-20-one (11%). 3β,14a-Dihydroxypregn-5-en-7,20-dione was identified as a new metabolite. Website

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The regioselective and stereoselective hydroxylation of steroids by fungal strains previously known for their hydroxylation capabilities, such as Thamnostylum (= Helicostylum) piriforme ATCC 8992, Mucor griseocyanus ATCC 1207a, Actinomucor elegans (= Mucor parasiticus) MMP 3122 (Mucorales), and Zygodesmus sp. ATCC 14716, was investigated with special interest for the 14α-hydroxylation reaction. A preliminary screening had shown that some of these microorganisms were adequate for the production of 14α-hydroxylated derivatives of the following steroids: progesterone, 5β-pregnane-3,20- dione, 3β-hydroxy-5β-pregnane-20-one, 3β-hydroxy-5β-17(αH)-etianic acid methyl ester, androst-4-ene-3,17-dione, and testosterone. About 20 metabolites have been isolated and purified by silicagel chromatography and semi-preparative reverse-phase HPLC. These metabolites have been fully characterized by 1H, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry. All the identified metabolites were hydroxylated at some distinct positions, such as 6β-, 7α- , 9α-, 14α-, 15β-, or dihydroxylated at 6β, 14α-, 7α, 14α-, 9α, 14α- , 14α, 15α-, 14α, 15β-positions; nine of these metabolites have not been reported previously. The relationship between the structural features of the investigated steroids and the site-specific hydroxylation has been delineated, and progesterone was found to be the best substrate for the production of 14α-hydroxylated derivative, using T. piriforme.

Microbial transformations by a Bacillus sp. were employed as a means of preparing potentially important derivatives of progesterone and testosterone.Each microbial metabolite was subjected to structure elucidation employing 1H and 13C nmr, mass spectral and cd analysis.HPLC was used for the determination of the percentages of the metabolites formed.The progesterone metabolites were characterised as 14-hydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione (II), 14-hydroxy-5α-pregnane-3,6,20-trione (III), 11α-hydroxy-5α-pregnane-3,6,20-trione (IV) and 11α,14-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione (V).The testosterone analogs were identified as 4-androstene-3,17-dione (VII), 17β-hydroxy-5α-androstane-3,6-dione (VIII), 14-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione (IX) and 14,17β-dihydroxy-4-androsten-3-one (X).The availability of the metabolites enabled complete elucidation of their 13C nmr spectra.