Solubilization and partial characterization of rat epididymal delta 4-steroid 5 alpha-reductase (cholestenone 5 alpha-reductase).

Epididymal delta 4-steroid 5 alpha-reductase (cholestenone 5 alpha-reductase), the enzyme that catalyses the conversion of testosterone into the biologically active metabolite dihydrotestosterone (17 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-androstan-3-one), is a membrane-bound enzyme found in both nuclear and microsomal subcellular fractions. In order to characterize epididymal delta 4-steroid 5 alpha-reductase, it was first necessary to solubilize the enzymic activity. Of the various treatments tested, a combination of 0.5% (w/v) Lubrol WX, 0.1 M-sodium citrate and 0.1 M-KCl maintained enzymic activity at control values and solubilized 66% of total epididymal delta 4-steroid 5 alpha-reductase activity in an active and stable form. The sedimentation coefficient of solubilized delta 4-steroid 5 alpha-reductase, as determined in continuous sucrose density gradients, was greater for the microsomal than for the nuclear enzyme (11.6S compared with 10.1S). Although the apparent Km values of the enzyme for testosterone were similar in nuclear and microsomal subcellular fractions (range 1.75 x 10(-7) - 4.52 x 10(-7)M), the apparent Km of the enzyme for NADPH was about 30-fold greater for the microsomal enzyme than for the nuclear enzyme. The apparent Km of the enzyme for either substrate was not significantly altered after solubilization. The relative capacity of steroids to inhibit the enzymic activity, the pH optima and the effects of Ca2+ and Mg2+ were similar for membrane-bound and solubilized delta 4-steroid 5 alpha-reductase in both the nuclear and the microsomal fractions. The results reported demonstrate that epididymal delta 4-steroid 5 alpha-reductase can be solubilized in an active and stable form with no significant changes in the kinetic characteristics of the enzyme after solubilization; furthermore, kinetic and molecular-size differences observed for the nuclear and the microsomal forms of the enzyme suggest that there may exist at least two forms of epididymal delta 4-steroid 5 alpha-reductase.