Stereospecific Oxidation of 3β-Hydroxysteroids by Persolvent Fermentation with Pseudomonas sp. ST-200.

Pseudomonas sp. strain ST-200 isolated from a humus soil effectively oxidizes cholesterol dissolved in organic solvents but not that suspended in the growth medium. The organism does not assimilate cholesterol. This organism oxidized a variety of 5α- or 5-ene-sterols dissolved in organic solvent. First, the 3β-OH group was oxidized to a ketone group. The 3α-OH group was scarcely oxidized. Successively, C-6 position of 5-ene-steroids was hydroxylated, and a double bond of 5-ene-steroids was transferred from Δ(5) to Δ (4). Then, the 6-OH group was oxidized to a ketone group. Persolvent fermentation with ST-200 would provide an effective, convenient, and stereospecific method to oxidize the C-3 and C-6 positions of steroids.