ACTIVATION OF SOLUBILIZED STEROID-TRANSFORMING ENZYMES OF ADRENAL MICROSOMAL ORIGIN BY SERUM PROTEINS

Abstract

SUMMARY The reactions which result in the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone and of progesterone to deoxycorticosterone in undisrupted microsomal preparations from rat adrenal glands were stimulated by homologous serum. The active materials were shown to be firmly associated with serum proteins. The dialysable fraction of serum was either without effect on these transformations or was inhibitory. The enzyme systems involved were partially solubilized by exposure of the microsomal preparation to prolonged sonic treatment or to 1% Triton N-101. After either treatment, 35–40% of the original specific activity of the steroid 21-hydroxylase system responsible for the conversion of progesterone to deoxycorticosterone was found in the supernatant fraction after high-speed centrifugation. However, this solubilized system did not respond to serum preparations. The same procedures also resulted in a supernatant fluid which showed about 50–60% of the initial specific activity of the multi-enzyme system involved in the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone. In these instances, the stimulatory effect of serum was retained or accentuated. Acetone powders prepared from the adrenal microsomal fraction were also active in the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone and responded to serum with enhanced activity. Earlier observations that activation of steroid 21-hydroxylase by homologous rat serum was specific for the β-globulin fraction were confirmed in the present investigations. In contrast, stimulation of the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone was apparently due principally to the albumin fraction. Albumin preparations from a number of other sources, as well as whole human serum protein, were also effective in this regard. The active protein preparations selectively stimulated 4-ene-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity, but did not activate 5-ene-3-oxosteroid isomerase in the microsomal fraction. This finding suggested that activation of 5-ene-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was responsible for stimulation of progesterone synthesis from pregnenolone. The results indicate that the protein-bound factor in rat serum which was capable of stimulating the conversion of progesterone to deoxycorticosterone in microsomal preparations from rat adrenal glands was different from that which activates the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone. Moreover, these diverse factors appeared to act by different mechanisms.