MICROBIAL HYDROXYLATION OF 13-BETA-ETHYL-4-GONENE-3,17-DIONE

Among the microbiological transformations of steroids 15 alpha-hydroxy lation of 13 beta-ethyl-4-gonene-3,17-dione is an industrially importa nt one [Von H. Hofmeister, K. Annen, H. Laurent, K. Petzoldt, R. Wiech ert, Arzneim.-Forsch. 36 (1986) 781], since it results in an intermedi ate of the synthesis of Gestoden, a widely used contraceptive drug. Th e aim of our research was to select fungal strains for hydroxylation o f 13 beta-ethyl-4-gonene-3,17-dione which produce the 15 alpha-hydroxy lated product in a high yield. According to our taxonomical studies, s everal species of Aspergillus, Fusarium, Mortierella, and Penicillium genera fulfill this requirement. It has been reported that the 15 alph a-hydroxylating enzyme of Penicillium raistrickii is inducible by vari ous steroidal compounds [S. Irrgang, D. Schlosser, H.-P. Schmauder, Bi otechnol. Lett. 14 (1992) 33]. We found that the enzyme of Fusarium ni vale (VJ-63 strain) is also advantageously induced by norethisterone, which significantly increased the economic efficiency of this biotrans formation process [A. Jekkel, E. Ilkoy, J. Suto, G. Ambrus, Gy. Horvat h, I. Bosinger, I. Pallagi, I. Lang, E. Gyepessy, Hungarian Patent App l. P-9602249 (1996)]. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserv ed.