Testosterone metabolism in streptomyces hydrogenans.

After cultivation of Streptomyces hydrogenans in the presence of 3H-labelled testosterone, radioactive steroids were extracted separately from the cytosolic, ribosomal and cell wall-membrane fraction of the cells and from the culture medium, respectively. The separation of the steroids was performed by one- and two-dimensional thin layer chromatography (TLC). The identification of the main metabolites was achieved by crystallization to constant specific staining procedures and acetylation. The oxidation of testosterone to androst-4-en-3,17-dione is by far the predominating reaction, which is almost finished after 3 h cultivation. Androst-4-en-3,17-dione is mainly transferred into the culture medium and partly accumulated within the cell wall-membrane fraction. High polar steroid metabolites and androstane derivatives are present in very smahl amounts only.