BIOGENESIS OF CORTICOSTEROIDS IN THE EUROPEAN EEL ANGUILLA ANGUILLA L.

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
SUMMARY: Incubation, with [4-14C]progesterone, of adrenocortical tissue (posterior cardinal vein preparations) from the eel yielded 14C-labelled cortisol and cortisone. These two hormones, containing both 14C and 3H, appeared when similar preparations were incubated simultaneously with [4-14C]progesterone and [16-3H]pregnenolone. In addition, the following intermediaries were isolated: [14C, 3H]progesterone; [14C, 3H]17α-hydroxyprogesterone; [3H]17α-hydroxypregnenolone and [14C, 3H]21-deoxycortisol. Analysis of the isotope content of the end products and isolated intermediaries seemed to indicate that the transformation of pregnenolone to corticosteroids proceeded to a large extent through intermediaries other than progesterone. In none of these experiments could the formation of aldosterone be demonstrated. Similarly, incubation of eel adrenocortical tissue with a mixture of [4-14C]-progesterone and [1,2-3H]corticosterone failed to yield detectable aldosterone. A further search for aldosterone, using a large amount of eel adrenocortical tissue with [4-14C]progesterone and [16-3H]pregnenolone as substrates with added angiotensin, also gave negative results. In similar preparations, [1-14C]sodium acetate was not transformed to any recognizable corticosteroids.