The metabolism of 4α-hydroxymethyl sterols by rat liver microsomes has been studied. Oxidation of the 4α-hydroxymethyl group to a carboxylic acid requires oxygen and reduced pyridine nucleotide. On the other hand, anaerobic dehydrogenation to the carboxylic acid is very slow. Thus, in sharp contrast to earlier suggestions, it appears that oxidation of the hydroxymethyl group is catalyzed by microsomal mixed function oxidases. Oxidations of 4α-hydroxymethyl-5α-cholest-7-en-3β-ol and 4β-methyl-4α-hydroxymethyl-5α-cholest-7-en-3β-ol may be catalyzed by the same liver microsomal system. Furthermore, the properties of the oxidases that catalyze formation of 4α-carboxylic acids from 4α-methyl and 4α-hydroxymethyl groups are very similar.
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Miller et al. (1971) studied this question.
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