Bacterial steroid-17,20-desmolase is a taxonomically rare enzymatic pathway that converts prednisone to 1,4-androstanediene-3,11,17-trione, a metabolite that causes proliferation of prostate cancer cells.
Ly LK, Rowles JL, Paul HM, Alves JMP, Yemm C, Wolf PM, Devendran S, Hudson ME, Morris DJ, Erdman JW, Ridlon JM.
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol · research support, non-u.s. gov't; research-article; research support, u.s. gov't, non-p.h.s.; journal article; research support, n.i.h., extramural · DOI 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2019.105567