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J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol

Title:		Comparative biosynthetic pathway of androstenol and androgens
Author(s):		Dufort I; Soucy P; Lacoste L; Luu-The V;
Address:		"Oncology and Molecular Endocrinology Research Center, Laval University Medical Center (CHUL) and Laval University, 2705 Laurier Boulevard, Quebec, G1V 4G2, Canada"
Journal Title:		J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol
Year:		2001
Volume:		77
Issue:		4-May
Page Number:		223 - 227
DOI:		10.1016/s0960-0760(01)00057-7
ISSN/ISBN:		0960-0760 (Print) 0960-0760 (Linking)
Abstract:		"It has been shown recently that androstenol and androstanol could modulate gene expression through the nuclear orphan receptors CAR (constitutive androstane receptor) and PXR (pregnane X receptor). Although, in the pig, androstenol is produced in high amounts and is active as a pheromone, its role in the human is ill defined. Androstenol possesses a structure similar to that of androgens, with the exception that it does not possess an oxygen at position 17 that is crucial for androgenic and estrogenic activity. It has been shown that human and boar testis homogenates could produce androstenol, but details of the biosynthetic pathway had not yet been elucidated. It has also been shown recently that androstenol could modulate the activity of CAR and PXR and the expression of some cytochrome P450 drug-metabolizing enzymes. We wanted to determine the precise biosynthetic pathway of androstenol and other closely related steroids. Using transformed human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cells that stably express 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, 5 alpha-reductase and 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, we have shown that these enzymes are able to efficiently transform the precursor 5,16-androstadien-3 beta-ol into androstenol. We thus provided evidence that androstenol, the ligand for CAR and PXR, is produced by the biosynthetic pathway of sex steroids"
Keywords:		"3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases/metabolism 3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase/metabolism Androgens/*biosynthesis Androstenols/*metabolism Cells, Cultured Humans Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases/metabolism;"
Notes:		"MedlineDufort, I Soucy, P Lacoste, L Luu-The, V eng England 2001/07/18 J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2001 Jun; 77(4-5):223-7. doi: 10.1016/s0960-0760(01)00057-7"