Abstract
Microbiological conversions of Reichstein's substance S (4-pregnene-17α21-diol-3, 20-dione) and hydrocortisone to their corresponding 20β-hydloxy derivatives were achieved by means of numerous strains of Streptomyces such as S. diastaticus (ATCC 3315), S. flavogriseus (H-4449), S. albus (ATCC 3351) etc., and it became apparent that 20-carbonyl reduction is the wide-spread type of transformation in the Streptonlyces species.
Moreover, several interesting strains having both 1-dehydrogenating and 20-carbonyl reducing activities were detected. For instance, when Reichstein's substance S was used as substrate 1, 4-pregnadiene-17α, 21-diol-3, 20-dione, 4-pregnene-17α, 20β21-triol-3-onc and 1, 4-pregnadiene-17α, 20β21-triol-3-onc were isolated simultaneously using S.flaveolus (D-551), S. roseochromogenes (O-36) etc. These strains also exhibited similar transformation patterns in the use of hydrocortisone.
