Transformation of steroids by fungal spores

Summary Treatment of Cunninghamella elegans sporangiospores with dilute KOH, EDTA or Helix pomatia digestive enzymes (HpE) followed by cortexolone transformation resulted in stimulation of cortisol and epicortisol formation. The increased ability to hydroxylate steroids was accompanied by swelling of spores and increased permeability of their envelopes to exogenous citrate.Activated spores, unlike the untreated controls, exhibited enhanced degradation of intracellular amino acids, especially alanine and glutamic acid-the main constituents of the amino acid pools. We also observed a higher NADPH: (NADP⁺+NADPH) ratio probably due to the operation of more effective NADPH-generating system(s) in HpE, KOH or EDTA pre-treated spores.