Abstract
Steroid hormones play an important role in the survival of the individual and of species. This is realized by the regulation of salt and sugar homeostasis by mineralocorticosteroids and glucocorticosteroids and of reproductive processes by sex hormones. This chapter discusses the roles of members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme family in the biosynthesis of the hormonally active steroids: CYP11A1 for all steroids, CYP21A2 and CYP11B2 for the mineralocorticoid aldosterone, CYP17A1, CYP21A2, and CYP11B1 for the glucocorticoid cortisol, CYP17A1 for androgens and CYP19A1 for estrogens. Furthermore, the importance of the cholesterol transporter steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and the electron donors P450 oxidoreductase and ferredoxin is indicated. The localization and regulation of the expression of the CYPs and the effects of inactivating mutations in the genes encoding these enzymes are described. Finally, the role of steroid-catabolizing CYPs is discussed.
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