Crystalline cortisone reductase prepared from Streptomyces hydrogenans has 3a-and 20p-hydroxysteroid: NAD oxidoreductase activity. The total rate of reaction for mixtures of 17a,21-dihydroxypregn-4-ene-3,l 1,20-trione with 5a-androstan-3,16-dione, and of 1 'Ip-hydroxy-1 amethyl-5n-androstan-3-one with either of these compounds indicated that these substrates do not react independently. 3p-Hydroxy-5a-androstan-16-one inhibited the reduction of both 17a,21-dihydroxypregn-4-ene-3,il ,2O-trione and 5a-androstane-3,l 6-dione.20p-Hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one also inhibited the reduction of both these substrates. The findings allow the view that the 301-and 208-activities may depend upon a single active centre with complex binding characteristics. [a] established that the simple assay procedures originally used gave approximate estimates of the kinetic constants which could be considerably in error, so that the question of one or more centres remained open. Assay problems included the low solubility of many steroids in aqueous media, and instability of the enzyme under some conditions. Kinetic measurements have now been made using certain favourable steroids under conditions which give good reproducibility. Kinetic constants were calculated, and estimates made of the probable errors. These findings show that the 301-and 20g-activities are not independent. The relationship between them is discussed.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Steroids
GmbH (Mannheim, Germany) and thin layer adsorbants from E. Merck A.G. (Darmstadt, Germany).Enzyme solution sufficient for one experiment was made up immediately before use by diluting stock enzyme suspension (5 mg/ml2.2 mM ammonium sulphate, pH 7.0) with 5 mM Tris containing 1 mg/ml EDTA (disodium salt), pH 8.2, and the enzyme solution was kept a t 4 "C during the course of the experiment. The NADH solution was made up immediately before use in 10 mM Tris, pH 8.2.135 mM Sodium-phosphate buffer, pH 7.0 (2 ml) containing 1.35mM EDTA (disodium salt) and 4.05 mM NADH solution (0.1 ml) were put into a spectrophotometer cell of 1 cm light path, maintained a t 25 "C by a water jacket. Enzyme solution (volume depending upon the amount of enzyme required) and water (to make 0.56 ml) were then added. Dimethyl sulphoxide (0.02 ml) alone, or containing the steroid inhibitor when one was used, was added next. The reaction was initiated by addition of steroid substrate in 0.02 ml dimethyl sulphoxide. For mixed substrate reactions, the solutions of steroid in dimethyl sulphoxide were mixed and reaction initiated by a single addition of 0.04 ml of this solution. Spectrophotometric measurements were made at 340 nm using a Unicam SP-800 double-beam recording spectrophotometer (Unicam Instruments, Cambridge, England). The reference cell contained solutions as above, except that water was added instead of enzyme, dimethyl sulphoxide instead of substrate solution, and 3.24mM NADH instead of 4.05mM NADH. The initial absorbance reading of the reaction cell relative to the reference cell was approximately 0.2 units. The...