Steroidogenic enzymes are enzymes that are involved in steroidogenesis and steroid biosynthesis. They are responsible for the biosynthesis of the steroid hormones, including sex steroids (androgens, estrogens, and progestogens) and corticosteroids (glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids), as well as neurosteroids, from cholesterol. Steroidogenic enzymes are most highly expressed in classical steroidogenic tissues, such as the testis, ovary, and adrenal cortex, but are also present in other tissues in the body.
List of steroidogenic enzymes
Steroid desmolases
Cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (20,22-desmolase) – steroid synthesis
17,20-Lyase (17,20-desmolase) – androgen synthesis
Steroid hydroxylases
11β-Hydroxylase – corticosteroid synthesis
17α-Hydroxylase – androgen and glucocorticoid synthesis
18-Hydroxylase (aldosterone synthase) – mineralocorticoid synthesis
21-Hydroxylase – corticosteroid synthesis
Cytochrome P450 (CYP1, 2, 3) – estrogen metabolism
Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (and ketosteroid reductases) 3α-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase – androgen, progestogen, and neurosteroid synthesis and metabolism 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ5-4-isomerase (1, 2) – androgen, progestogen, and neurosteroid synthesis 11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (1, 2) – corticosteroid synthesis and metabolism 17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (1–15) – androgen, estrogen, and progestogen synthesis and metabolism 20α-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase – progestogen synthesis and metabolism 20β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase – progestogen synthesis and metabolism
Steroid reductases
5α-Reductase (1, 2, 3) – androgen and neurosteroid synthesis, progestogen metabolism 5β-Reductase – androgen and progestogen metabolism, neurosteroid synthesis Conjugation (and deconjugation) Glucuronosyltransferase (UGT2Bs) – steroid metabolism Glucuronidase (β-glucuronidase) – steroid synthesis Steroid sulfotransferase (SULT1A1, 1E1, 2A1, 2B1a, 2B1b) – steroid metabolism, neurosteroid synthesis Steroid sulfatase – steroid synthesis, neurosteroid metabolism Others Aromatase (estrogen synthetase) – estrogen synthesis