[Purification and some properties of 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from pig adrenal cytosol]

A 3 alpha-reducing activity of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-DHT) was found in pig adrenal cytosol. The enzyme (3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: 3 alpha-HSD) has been purified to homogeneity from pig adrenal cytosol by ammonium sulfate precipitation followed by DEAE-cellulose, 2', 5'-adenosine diphosphate-Sepharose and Sephadex G-100 column chromatographies. The molecular weight was estimated to be 33,000 and 39,000 by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Isoelectric point was estimated to be 8.5 by isoelectric focusing. The Km and Vmax values for 5 alpha-DHT in the reduction were 10.2 microM and 10.6 nmol/min/mg. The enzyme utilized reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) or reduced nicotine amide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) in the reduction as a cofactor, but it preferentially required NADPH rather than NADH. Furthermore, the purified enzyme catalyzed not only 3 alpha-reduction of 5 alpha-DHT (9.65 nmol/min/mg), but also catalyzed 20 alpha-reduction of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (0.58 nmol/min/mg). The enzyme activity of 3 alpha-HSD was strongly inhibited by Hg2+, but it was not inhibited by medroxyprogesterone acetate and some anti-inflammatory agents. No remarkable differences was demonstrated between 3 alpha-HSD and 20 alpha-HSD activity under the influence of heat treatment, divalent cation, anti-inflammatory agents and some inhibitory steroids. These results strongly suggest that 3 alpha-HSD purified from pig adrenal cytosol is a bi-functional enzyme catalyzing 3 alpha- and 20 alpha-HSD activities.