Stereochemistry of estrogen biosynthesis by a reconstituted aromatase cytochrome P-450 preparation from human placenta.

According to the literature, the multistep reaction mechanism of estrogen biosynthesis proceeds with stereospecific loss of the equatorial 1 beta-, and axial 2 beta-protons. These results were deduced from experiments carried out, either with crude microsomes, or at best with impure enzyme extracts. However, when [1,2- 3H]4-androstene-3,17-dione of known absolute 3H-label distribution was incubated with a reconstituted enzyme system, consisting of homogeneous NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase and highly purified aromatase, we obtained results that can only be logically explained by a trans- and antiparallel elimination reaction of both the axially oriented C-2 beta-, and C-1-alpha protons. We further demonstrate that the reconstituted enzyme has an aromatase activity optimum at pH 7.2, and an apparent Km of 0.66 microM for NADPH and of 0.24 microM for 4-androstene-3,17-dione. Also, the enzyme requires 3 nmoles of NADPH for each nmole of estrogen that is formed.