Steroid 11ß-hydroxylation by a fungal microsomal cytochrome P450

Conversion and synthesis of chemicals catalyzed by fungal cytochrome P450 monooxygenases: A review

Cytochrome P450s (also called CYPs or P450s) are a superfamily of heme-containing monooxygenases. They are distributed in all biological kingdoms. Most fungi have at least two P450-encoding genes, CYP51 and CYP61, which are housekeeping genes that play important roles in the synthesis of sterols. However, the kingdom fungi is an interesting source of numerous P450s. Here, we review reports on fungal P450s and their applications in the bioconversion and biosynthesis of chemicals. We highlight their history, availability, and versatility. We describe their involvement in hydroxylation, dealkylation, oxygenation, C═C epoxidation, C-C cleavage, C-C ring formation and expansion, C-C ring contraction, and uncommon reactions in bioconversion and/or biosynthesis pathways. The ability of P450s to catalyze these reactions makes them promising enzymes for many applications. Thus, we also discuss future prospects in this field. We hope that this review will stimulate further study and exploitation of fungal P450s for specific reactions and applications.

Engineering the Steroid Hydroxylating System from Cochliobolus lunatus in Mycolicibacterium smegmatis

14α-hydroxylated steroids are starting materials for the synthesis of contraceptive and anti-inflammatory compounds in the steroid industry. A synthetic bacterial operon containing the cytochrome P450 CYP103168 and the reductase CPR64795 of the fungus Cochlioboluslunatus able to hydroxylate steroids has been engineered into a shuttle plasmid named pMVFAN. This plasmid was used to transform two mutants of Mycolicibacterium smegmatis named MS6039-5941 and MS6039 that accumulate 4-androstene-3,17-dione (AD), and 1,4-androstadiene-3,17-dione (ADD), respectively. The recombinant mutants MS6039-5941 (pMVFAN) and MS6039 (pMVFAN) were able to efficiently express the hydroxylating CYP system of C.lunatus and produced in high yields 14αOH-AD and 14αOH-ADD, respectively, directly from cholesterol and phytosterols in a single fermentation step. These results open a new avenue for producing at industrial scale these and other hydroxylated steroidal synthons by transforming with this synthetic operon other Mycolicibacterium strains currently used for the commercial production of steroidal synthons from phytosterols as feedstock.

Biotransformation of progesterone and testosterone enanthate by Circinella muscae

In this study, the biotransformation of progesterone (1) and testosterone enanthate (5) using the whole cells of Circinella muscae was investigated for the first time. Microbial transformation of 1 with C. muscae afforded three known metabolites including 9α-hydroxyprogesterone (2), 14α-hydroxyprogesterone (3) and 6β,14α dihydroxyprogesterone (4) after 6 days of incubation at 26 °C. The biotransformation of 5 with C. muscae yielded a new metabolite; 8β,14α-dihydroxytestosterone (8), in addition to two known metabolites; 6β-hydroxytestosterone (6), and 9α-hydroxytestosterone (7). The structure of the metabolites were established on the basis of spectroscopic data.

Identification and expression of the 11β-steroid hydroxylase from Cochliobolus lunatus in Corynebacterium glutamicum

Hydroxylation of steroids has acquired special relevance for the pharmaceutical industries. Particularly, the 11β-hydroxylation of steroids is a reaction of biotechnological importance currently carried out at industrial scale by the fungus Cochliobolus lunatus. In this work, we have identified the genes encoding the cytochrome CYP103168 and the reductase CPR64795 of C. lunatus responsible for the 11β-hydroxylase activity in this fungus, which is the key step for the preparative synthesis of cortisol in industry. A recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum strain harbouring a plasmid expressing both genes forming a synthetic bacterial operon was able to 11β-hydroxylate several steroids as substrates. This is a new example to show that the industrial strain C. glutamicum can be used as a suitable chassis to perform steroid biotransformation expressing eukaryotic cytochromes.

Biotransformation of anabolic compound methasterone with Macrophomina phaseolina, Cunninghamella blakesleeana, and Fusarium lini, and TNF-α inhibitory effect of transformed products

Microbial transformation of methasterone (1) was investigated with Macrophomina phaseolina, Cunninghamella blakesleeana, and Fusarium lini. Biotransformation of 1 with M. phaseolina yielded metabolite 2, while metabolites 3-7 were obtained from the incubation of 1 with C. blakesleeana. Metabolites 8-13 were obtained through biotransformation with F. lini. All metabolites, except 13, were found to be new. Methasterone (1) and its metabolites 2-6, 9, 10, and 13 were then evaluated for their immunomodulatory effects against TNF-α, NO, and ROS production. Among all tested compounds, metabolite 6 showed a potent inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α (IC50=8.1±0.9μg/mL), as compared to pentoxifylline used as a standard (IC50=94.8±2.1μg/mL). All metabolites were also evaluated for the inhibition of NO production at concentration of 25μg/mL. Metabolites 6 (86.7±2.3%) and 13 (62.5±1.5%) were found to be the most potent inhibitors of NO as compared to the standard NG-monomethyl-l-arginine acetate (65.6±1.1%). All metabolites were found to be non-toxic against PC3, HeLa, and 3T3 cell lines. Observed inhibitory potential of metabolites 6 and 13 against pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, as well as NO production makes them interesting leads for further studies.

A CYP21A2 based whole-cell system in Escherichia coli for the biotechnological production of premedrol

BACKGROUND

Synthetic glucocorticoids like methylprednisolone (medrol) are of high pharmaceutical interest and represent powerful drugs due to their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects. Since the chemical hydroxylation of carbon atom 21, a crucial step in the synthesis of the medrol precursor premedrol, exhibits a low overall yield because of a poor stereo- and regioselectivity, there is high interest in a more sustainable and efficient biocatalytic process. One promising candidate is the mammalian cytochrome P450 CYP21A2 which is involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis and performs a selective oxyfunctionalization of C21 to provide the precursors of aldosterone, the main mineralocorticoid, and cortisol, the most important glucocorticoid. In this work, we demonstrate the high potential of CYP21A2 for a biotechnological production of premedrol, an important precursor of medrol.

RESULTS

We successfully developed a CYP21A2-based whole-cell system in Escherichia coli by coexpressing the cDNAs of bovine CYP21A2 and its redox partner, the NADPH-dependent cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR), via a bicistronic vector. The synthetic substrate medrane was selectively 21-hydroxylated to premedrol with a max. yield of 90 mg L(-1) d(-1). To further improve the biocatalytic activity of the system by a more effective electron supply, we exchanged the CPR with constructs containing five alternative redox systems. A comparison of the constructs revealed that the redox system with the highest endpoint yield converted 70 % of the substrate within the first 2 h showing a doubled initial reaction rate compared with the other constructs. Using the best system we could increase the overall yield of premedrol to a maximum of 320 mg L(-1) d(-1) in shaking flasks. Optimization of the biotransformation in a bioreactor could further improve the premedrol gain to a maximum of 0.65 g L(-1) d(-1).

CONCLUSIONS

We successfully established a CYP21-based whole-cell system for the biotechnological production of premedrol, a pharmaceutically relevant glucocorticoid, in E. coli and could improve the system by optimizing the redox system concerning reaction velocity and endpoint yield. This is the first step for a sustainable replacement of a complicated chemical low-yield hydroxylation by a biocatalytic cytochrome P450-based whole-cell system.

A recombinant CYP11B1 dependent Escherichia coli biocatalyst for selective cortisol production and optimization towards a preparative scale

BACKGROUND

Human mitochondrial CYP11B1 catalyzes a one-step regio- and stereoselective 11β-hydroxylation of 11-deoxycortisol yielding cortisol which constitutes not only the major human stress hormone but also represents a commercially relevant therapeutic drug due to its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Moreover, it is an important intermediate in the industrial production of synthetic pharmaceutical glucocorticoids. CYP11B1 thus offers a great potential for biotechnological application in large-scale synthesis of cortisol. Because of its nature as external monooxygenase, CYP11B1-dependent steroid hydroxylation requires reducing equivalents which are provided from NADPH via a redox chain, consisting of adrenodoxin reductase (AdR) and adrenodoxin (Adx).

RESULTS

We established an Escherichia coli based whole-cell system for selective cortisol production from 11-deoxycortisol by recombinant co-expression of the demanded 3 proteins. For the subsequent optimization of the whole-cell activity 3 different approaches were pursued: Firstly, CYP11B1 expression was enhanced 3.3-fold to 257 nmol∗L(-1) by site-directed mutagenesis of position 23 from glycine to arginine, which was accompanied by a 2.6-fold increase in cortisol yield. Secondly, the electron transfer chain was engineered in a quantitative manner by introducing additional copies of the Adx cDNA in order to enhance Adx expression on transcriptional level. In the presence of 2 and 3 copies the initial linear conversion rate was greatly accelerated and the final product concentration was improved 1.4-fold. Thirdly, we developed a screening system for directed evolution of CYP11B1 towards higher hydroxylation activity. A culture down-scale to microtiter plates was performed and a robot-assisted, fluorescence-based conversion assay was applied for the selection of more efficient mutants from a random library.

CONCLUSIONS

Under optimized conditions a maximum productivity of 0.84 g cortisol∗L(-1)∗d(-1) was achieved, which clearly shows the potential of the developed system for application in the pharmaceutical industry.

Microbial transformations of steroids--XII. Progesterone hydroxylation profiles are modulated by post-translational modification of an electron transfer protein in Streptomyces roseochromogenes

When Streptomyces roseochromogenes strain 10984 was incubated with exogenous progesterone for 25 h the major monohydroxylated metabolite, 16alpha-hydroxyprogesterone was produced in 3.6 fold excess to the minor metabolite 2beta,16alpha-dihydroxyprogesterone. In a reconstituted system containing highly purified progesterone 16alpha-hydroxylase cytochrome P-450, and electron transfer proteins ferredoxin-like redoxin (roseoredoxin) and redoxin reductase (roseoredoxin reductase), both metabolites were produced but in a 10:1 ratio. When S. roseochromogenes was pre-incubated for 8 h with 0.32 mM progesterone and the purified components of the hydroxylase system incubated as before, the ratio of 16alpha-hydroxyprogesterone to 2beta,16alpha-dihydroxyprogesterone produced decreased to 2.8:1, virtually identical to the ratio in whole cell transformations. Reconstitution assays containing all combinations of hydroxylase proteins purified from progesterone pre-incubated and control cells showed that the roseoredoxin was solely responsible for the observed changes in in vitro metabolite ratios. The fact that the lower 16alpha-hydroxyprogesterone to 2beta,16alpha-dihydroxyprogesterone ratio was also obtained when S. roseochromogenes was exposed to 0.335 mM cycloheximide for 8 h prior to the progesterone pre-incubation, pointed to post-translation modification of the roseoredoxin. Separation of two isoforms of roseoredoxin by isoelectric focusing supported this proposition.

Microbial transformations of steroids-XI. Progesterone transformation by Streptomyces roseochromogenes-purification and characterisation of the 16alpha-hydroxylase system

Streptomyces roseochromogenes, NCIB 10984, contains a cytochrome P450 which, in conjunction with two indigenous electron transfer proteins, roseoredoxin and roseoredoxin reductase, hydroxylates exogenous progesterone firstly to 16alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and thereafter in a second phase bioconversion to 2beta,16alpha-dihydroxyprogesterone. The progesterone 16alpha-hydroxylase P450 and the two electron transfer proteins have been purified to homogeneity. A reconstituted incubation containing these three purified proteins and NADH, the natural electron donor, produced identical hydroxy-progesterone metabolites as in intact cells. Peroxy and hydroperoxy compounds act in a shortened form of the cycle known as the 'peroxide shunt' by replacing the natural pathway requirement for the electron donor NADH, the electron transfer proteins and molecular O2, the terminal electron acceptor. In an NaIO4 supported incubation, the initial rate of progesterone hydroxylation was marginally higher (1.62 mmol progesterone/mmol P-450/h) than in the reconstituted natural incubation (1.18 mmol progesterone/mmol P-450/h) but the product yield was significantly lower, 0.45 mol hydroxyprogesterone produced/mol P-450 compared to 6.0 mol hydroxyprogesterone produced/mol P-450. These yield data show that in the reconstituted natural pathway, progesterone 16alpha-hydroxylase P450 supports multiple rounds of hydroxylation in contrast to a likely single oxygenation by a minority of P450s in the peroxide shunt pathway.

Transformation of 3-hydroxy-steroids by Fusarium moniliforme 7alpha-hydroxylase

Transformation of physiologically important 3-hydroxy-steroids by the DHEA-induced 7alpha-hydroxylase of F. moniliforme was investigated. Whereas DHEA was almost totally 7alpha-hydroxylated, PREG, EPIA and ESTR were only partially converted into their 7alpha-hydroxylated derivatives because hydroxylation at other undetermined positions as well as reduction of ketone at C17 or C20 into hydroxyl also occurred. Cholesterol was not transformed by the enzyme. Kinetic parameters of the 7alpha-hydroxylation for these substrates were determined and confirmed that DHEA was the best substrate of the 7alpha-hydroxylase. Inhibition studies of DHEA 7alpha-hydroxylation by the other 3-hydroxy-steroids were also carried out and proved that DHEA, PREG, EPIA and ESTR shared the same active site of the enzyme. Induction effects of these steroids were compared, and DHEA appeared to be the best inducer of the 7alpha-hydroxylase of F. moniliforme.

Induction of steroidal hydroxylase activity by plant defence compounds in the filamentous fungus Cochliobolus lunatus

We investigated the hypothesis that the endogenous role of the commercially important inducible steroid hydroxylase cytochrome P450s of fungi was in defense against plant toxophores/secondary metabolites. Two plant defense compounds, the aglycones tomatidine and solanidine, the steroidal glycoalkaloid alpha-tomatine and the triterpene saponin beta-escin were tested as inducers of 11beta/14alpha-steroid hydroxylase in the filamentous fungus Cochliobolus lunatus. The extracts of saponins from the roots of Primula veris and green oat leaves were also tested as inducers of 11beta/14alpha-hydroxylation activity in progesterone biotransformation with the same fungus. Induction of steroid hydroxylase and inhibition of activity in some cases support our hypothesis that their endogenous function is in biochemical defence against secondary metabolites. 4-Pregnene-3,11,20-trione was added as a substrate for biotransformation with C. lunatus. We isolated from culture broth 14alpha-hydroxy-4-pregnene-3,11,20-trione, and the hitherto unreported compounds, 7alpha,14alpha-dihydroxy-4-pregnene-3,11,20-trione and 7alpha-hydroxy-pregna-4,8(14)-diene-3,11,20-trione.

Purification and characterization of NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase from filamentous fungus Rhizopus nigricans

We report here the isolation and partial characterization of a flavoprotein, NADPH-cytochrome P450 (cytochrome c) reductase. The enzyme is a part of steroid 11 alpha-hydroxylating system and is associated with the microsomal fraction of the fungus Rhizopus nigricans. Fungal reductase was solubilized from microsomal membranes with Triton X-100 and purified to apparent homogeneity by affinity and high-performance ion-exchange chromatography. A 350-fold purification of the enzyme with specific activity of 37 mumol cytochrome c reduced/min/mg protein was achieved. A single protein band was obtained on SDS-PAGE analysis with an apparent molecular weight of 79 kDa. Purified reductase contained approximately equimolar quantities of flavin adenine dinucleotide and flavin mononucleotide per mole of the enzyme. Upon induction of the steroid hydroxylating system with progesterone the activity of microsomal NADPH-cytochrome c (P450) reductase increased 10-fold. This is in good correlation with the increase in content of fungal cytochrome P450. Purified fungal flavoprotein was active in a reconstituted system with cytochrome P450 C21 from adrenal gland but could not replace adrenodoxin reductase in the mitochondrial steroid 11 beta-hydroxylating system. We were able to confirm the role of the enzyme by reconstituting steroid 11 alpha-hydroxylating activity from the separated components NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase and cytochrome P450, partly purified from fungal microsomes.

11Beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in progesterone biotransformation by the filamentous fungus Cochliobolus lunatus

Progesterone biotransformation was examined in relation to hydroxylating and dehydrogenating enzymes of Cochliobolus lunatus. 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity (11beta-HSD) was located in cytosolic fraction and was NADP-dependent, inducible by progesterone and apparently uni-directional. Several inhibitors of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase were tested; furosemide, glycyrrhizic-acid and carbenoxolone did not influence the dehydrogenation of 11beta-hydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione to 4-pregnene-3,11,20-trione, although grapefruit juice significantly reduced the rate of progesterone hydroxylation.

The inducible and cytochrome P450-containing dehydroepiandrosterone 7alpha-hydroxylating enzyme system of Fusarium moniliforme

7Alpha-hydroxylation of DHEA by Fusarium moniliforme was investigated with regard to inducibility and characterization of the responsible enzyme system. Using GC/MS, the 7-hydroxylated metabolites of DHEA produced after biotransformation by Fusarium moniliforme mycelia were identified. The strain of Fusarium moniliforme hydroxylated DHEA predominantly at the 7alpha-position, with minor hydroxylation occurring at the 7beta-position. Constitutive 7alpha-hydroxylation activity was low, but DHEA induced the enzyme complex responsible for 7alpha-hydroxylation via an increase in protein synthesis. DHEA 7alpha-hydroxylase was found to be mainly microsomal, and the best production yields of 7alpha-hydroxy-DHEA (28.5 +/- 3.51 pmol/min/mg protein) were obtained with microsomes prepared from 18-h-induced mycelia. Kinetic parameters (KM=1.18 +/- 0.035 microM and Vmax=909 +/- 27 pmol/min/mg protein) were determined. Carbon monoxide inhibited 7alpha-hydroxylation of DHEA by microsomes of Fusarium moniliforme. Also, exposure of mycelia to DHEA increased microsomal P450 content. These results demonstrated that: (i) DHEA is 7alpha-hydroxylated by microsomes of Fusarium moniliforme; (ii) DHEA induces Fusarium moniliforme 7alpha-hydroxylase; (iii) this enzyme complex contains a cytochrome P450.

Microbial transformations of steroids--X. Cytochromes P-450 11 alpha-hydroxylase and C17-C20 lyase and a 1-ene dehydrogenase transform steroids in Nectria haematococca

Nectria haematococca contains four enzymes that metabolise exogenous steroids. Two of these are microsomal cytochromes P-450 which act sequentially on progesterone producing firstly, by side-chain cleavage, the C19 steroid androstenedione (C17-C20 lyase), and then, in a subsequent set of transformations, 11 alpha-hydroxylated derivatives (11 alpha-hydroxylase). Two other conversions occur after side-chain cleavage. Unsaturation, in the form of a double bond at C1-C2, is introduced into the A ring by a catalytically self-sufficient microsomal 1-ene dehydrogenase. This enzyme is specific for C19 substrates. A C17-specific oxidoreductase is also involved in the production of androstenedione and testosterone from progesterone. The lyase, 11 alpha-hydroxylase and 1-ene dehydrogenase were purified to homogeneity.

Microbial transformation of steroids--IX. Purification of progesterone hydroxylase cytochrome P-450 from Phycomyces blakesleeanus

Progesterone hydroxylase cytochrome P-450 was purified to homogeneity from Phycomyces blakesleeanus microsomes by a four step procedure. An M(r) value of 60,000 was determined for this protein by SDS-PAGE. The DEAE-cellulose and Blue-1 MIMETIC affinity fractions gave major peaks at 452 nm in a dithionite-reduced, carbon monoxide, difference spectrum. NaIO4-dependent progesterone hydroxylation was obtained by the pure enzyme without NADPH and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase. NADPH-dependent hydroxylation required the addition of other Phycomyces microsomal proteins present in the Blue-1 fraction.

Progesterone metabolism by the filamentous fungus Cochliobolus lunatus

Studies of Cochliobolus lunatus m118 steroid metabolism by thin-layer chromatography, mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy revealed that the fungus hydroxylates progesterone at positions 7 alpha, 11 beta and 14 alpha, and oxidizes the 11 beta-hydroxy group to the ketone. The 1H NMR spectra of two of the steroid metabolites, 11 beta,14 alpha-dihydroxyprogesterone and 11-oxo-14 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, are reported for the first time. It is still not known if all the hydroxylation reactions are performed in C. lunatus by a single, non-specific, steroid hydroxylase, structurally different from the 11 beta-hydroxylase found in higher eucaryotes, or if different forms of the enzyme are involved.