17-alpha-hydroxypregnenolone
Last reviewed 01/2018
17-alpha-hydroxypregnenolone is an intermediate in steroid biosynthesis. It is produced from the precursor pregnenolone by the enzyme 17-alpha-hydroxylase. This enzyme hydroxylates pregnenolone at the C-17 position.
It is a precusor for production of:
- dehydroepiandrosterone, by loss of a 2 carbon side chain from the C-17 position and replacement with a keto group, or
- 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, by transfer of a double bond between C5-6 and C4-5, and dehydrogenation at C3