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Title: Radiometric assay for cytochrome P-450-catalyzed progesterone 16 alpha-hydroxylation and determination of an apparent isotope effect

Journal Article · · Anal. Biochem.; (United States)

In the course of studies on the oxygenation of steroids by purified P-450 cytochromes, particularly rabbit liver microsomal cytochrome P-450 form 3b, a rapid and reliable radiometric assay has been devised for progesterone 16 alpha-hydroxylation. In view of the lack of a commercially available, suitably tritiated substrate, (1,2,6,7,16,17-3H)progesterone was treated with alkali to remove the label from potential hydroxylation sites other than the 16 alpha position. The resulting (1,7,16-3H)progesterone was added to a reconstituted enzyme system containing cytochrome P-450 form 3b, NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase, and NADPH, and the rate of 16 alpha-hydroxylation was measured by the formation of /sup 3/H/sub 2/O. This reaction was shown to be linear with respect to time and to the cytochrome P-450 concentration. An apparent tritium isotope effect of 2.1 was observed by comparison of the rates of formation of tritium oxide and 16 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, and the magnitude of the isotope effect was confirmed by an isotope competition assay in which a mixture of (1,7,16-/sup 3/H)progesterone and (4-14C)progesterone was employed.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
OSTI ID:
5842132
Journal Information:
Anal. Biochem.; (United States), Vol. 164:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English