Preparation of Androsta-1,4-Diene-3,17-Dione from Sterols Using Mycobacterium Neoaurum VKPM Ac-1656 Strain

M. A. Molchanova^1 #, V. A. Andryushina¹, T. S. Savinova², T. S. Stytsenko¹, N. V. Rodina¹ and N. E. Voishvillo¹

^#Phone: (495) 135-30-49; e-mail: averakot@bk.ru

¹Bioengineering Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, pr. 60-letiya Oktyabrya 7/1, Moscow, 117312, Russia
²Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Leninskie gory, Moscow, 119992, Russia

Received: September, 4  2006;  in final form: October  15, 2006

Abstract.  A product of microbiological cleavage of the sterols side chain, androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione, is toxic for bacteria, in particular, actinobacteria of the genera Mycobacterium and Arthrobacter. Sterols were transformed into androsta-1,4-diene-3,17-dione by culturing the M. neoaurum VKPM Ac-1656 strain in a high yield, provided that a sorbent was used for elimination of contact between the bacterial cells and the product. Unlike the cholesterol side chain, the more branched chains of phytosterols were cleaved in the presence of M. neoaurum at a high rate only under turbulent stirring of the culture medium, which intensified the formation of hydrocarbonate ion from NaNI₃ in situ.

Key words:  androstadienedione, cholesterol, Mycobacterium neoaurum, microbiological cleavage, phytosterols, sorbents

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry 2007, 33 (3): 354-358