Stereospecificity of oxidation at C-19 in oestrogen biosynthesis

Abstract

A method has been devised for determining the configuration of samples of 19-acetoxy-Δ⁵-androgens stereospecifically labelled at C-19; with the help of such samples it is shown that in the biological conversion of 19-hydroxyandrogens into oestrogen the pro-R hydrogen atom from C-19 is removed as a proton and the pro-S hydrogen atom is incor porated into formic acid.