JBC, Vol. 250, Issue 19, 7547-7553, Oct, 1975
The stereospecificity of the enzymic reduction of 21-dehydrocortisol by NADH
J. C. Orr and C. Monder
(21R)-[21-3H]cortisol and (21S)-[21-3H]cortisol were synthesized by
reduction of 21-dehydrocortisol by NADH in the presence of
21-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. The stereochemistry at carbon 21 was
established after cleaving the side chain and oxidizing the resulting two
epimers of tritiated glycolate with glycolate oxidase of known (2-pro-S)
stereospecificity. From the distribution of radioactivity in the water and
glyoxylate produced in this reaction, it was concluded that the reaction of
21-dehydrocortisol with (4S)-[4-3H]NADH catalyzed by 21-hydroxysteroid
dehydrogenase results in a transfer of tritium from the 4S position of the
nucleotide to form (21S)-[21-3H]cortisol, and that (21R)-[21-3H]cortisol
resulted from the enzyme-catalyzed reduction of 21-dehydro[21-3H]cortisol
with NADH. Nuclear magnetic resonance studies on both epimers at position
21 of [21-2H]cortisol and of [21-2H]cortisone prepared enzymically identify
the transferring 21-pro-S hydrogen as the relatively downfield of the two
21-hydrogen atoms.