Aromatase
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(CC) Image: David E. Volk
Human placental aromatase bound to ligands androstenedione (cyan) and heme (yellow). Coordinates obtained from the RCSB Protein Data Bank (3EQM).
Human placental aromatase bound to ligands androstenedione (cyan) and heme (yellow). Coordinates obtained from the RCSB Protein Data Bank (3EQM).
Aromatase is an enzyme that removes the C-19 methyl group and oxidizes the 3- and 17-positions of steroids, including reactions that convert androgenic steroids (testosterone) into estrogenic steroids (estrogen). Because some tumors are estrogen-sensitive, aromatase inhibitors are sometimes used to treat cancer, mostly in post-menopausal women because aromatase inhibitors do not block estrogen synthesis in the ovaries.
The structure of human placental aromatase cytochrome P450 bound to ligands androstenedione (cyan) and heme (yellow) was determined by x-ray crystallography.[1]
References
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- ↑ (2009) "Structural Basis for Androgen Specificity and Estrogen Synthesis in Human Aromatase". Nature 457: 219-225.