11beta-Hydroxylation of Cortexolone (Reichstein Compound S) to Hydrocortisone by Curvularia lunata Entrapped in Photo-Cross-Linked Resin Gels.

Spores of Curvularia lunata were immobilized by entrapment with photo-cross-linkable resin prepolymers and incubated to form mycelium in potato dextrose broth containing cortexolone (Reichstein compound S) as an inducer of steroid 11beta-hydroxylase. In a buffer system containing 2.5% dimethyl sulfoxide, this immobilized mycelium hydroxylated cortexolone to hydrocortisone. The activity of this mycelium was comparable to the activity of free mycelium. Dimethyl sulfoxide did not inhibit hydroxylase activity at the concentration used and was effective in dissolving the product. Of the various photo-cross-linkable resin prepolymers examined, use of ENT-4000, whose main chain was polyethylene glycol 4000 (chain length, approximately 40 nm), resulted in maximum hydroxylation activity of the entrapped mycelium. The chain length of prepolymers affected markedly mycelial growth in the gels and, subsequently, the activity of the entrapped mycelium. The immobilized hydroxylation system was more stable than the system in free mycelium and could be reactivated by incubation of the entrapped mycelium in potato dextrose broth containing cortexolone. The system was tested 50 times during 100 days of operation and was found to carry out the desired transformation with overall yields of 60%.