MICROORGANISMS AS REAGENTS FOR TRANSFORMATIONS OF 5-ALPHA-STEROIDS

Microbial activation of rings A, B, and C of 5 alpha-steroids is revie wed in connection with the prospects for the use of 5 alpha-steroids a s a new starting material for the manufacturing of steroidal medicinal preparations. The combination of chemical synthesis and microbial met hods of steroid transformation allows the successful solution of the p roblem of selective functionalization of steroid molecules, provided t he suitable microorganisms are chosen and the conditions of their cult ivation are optimized.