Microorganisms and their use in producing androst-4-ene-3,17-dione.

摘要

A novel mutant, Mycobacterium fortuitum CBS 313.79, can be used in a microbiological process to selectively transform steroids having 17-alkyl side chains of from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, to yield androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD) as essentially the sole transformed product. AD is a valuable intermediate in the synthesis of useful steroids. CBS 313.79 can be obtained by mutation of the novel adaptive mutant Mycobacterium fortuitum CBS 314.79.