Biological synthesis of sulphuric acid esters of steroid hormones or their metabolites

Abstract

The synthesis in vitro of the sulphuric acid esters of ordinary phenols by rat-liver preparations has been demonstrated by De Meio & Tkacz (1952), De Meio, Wizerkaniuk & Fabiani (1953), De Meio, Wizer- kaniuk & Schreibman (1954) and Bernstein & McGilvery (1952a, b). De Meio & Lewycka (1955) were able to observe the formation in vitro of de- hydroepiandrosterone sulphate by the same type of preparations and Roy (1956) has presented other experimental evidence for the formation-of de- hydroepiandrosterone sulphate and other steroid sulphates. The requirements for such a synthesis appear to be the same as those found for the forma- tion of phenyl sulphates (De Meio, Wizerkaniuk & Fabiani, 1953; Bernstein & McGilvery, 1952a). Direct evidence is presented in this paper for the biosynthesis of the sulphates of dehydroepiandro- sterone, testosterone, oestrone and oestradiol-17fl.