Enzyme induction in Streptomyces hydrogenans, VI. Studies on the induction of 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, using immunological methods.

Antiserum against crystallized 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase from Streptomyces hydrogenans was used for various immunodiffusion and immunoprecipitation tests to show an increase of the de novo synthesis of 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase by Streptomyces hydrogenans after cultivation of the cells in the presence of 11beta,21-dihydroxy-4,17(20)-pregnadien-3-one. Half lives of mRNA for 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in induced cells and of total mRNA in non-induced cells were calculated to be 126 s and 66 s, respectively. In vivo, 20beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase appears to consist of four equal subunits. The monomers, molecular weight of 27 300, show a high tendency to form dimers and tetramers in the absence of dissociating agents. The aggregation is completely reversible in the presence of increasing concentrations of sodium dodecylsulfate.