@article{mbs:/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-45-3-441, author = "Brown, R. L. and Peterson, G. E.", title = "Cholesterol Oxidation By Soil Actinomycetes", journal= "Microbiology", year = "1966", volume = "45", number = "3", pages = "441-450", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-45-3-441", url = "https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-45-3-441", publisher = "Microbiology Society", issn = "1465-2080", type = "Journal Article", abstract = "SUMMARY: Cholesterol enrichment cultures from soil samples yielded various Nocardia and Streptomyces spp. capable of metabolizing cholesterol aerobically as a sole carbon source. One of these isolates, designated Streptomyces 14PH8, formed haloes (cholesterol-free zones surrounding colonies) on cholesterol mineral salts agar. This organism was selected for further study as it was able to utilize 80-100% of 0ยท1% (w/v) cholesterol in a mineral salts medium in 6 days. Oxidation of the sterol was initiated by a cholesterol dehydrogenase, giving 4-cholestene-3-one. The latter compound was then hydroxylated to form 4-cholestene-4-ol-3-one. Isotopic tracer studies revealed all of carbon-4 and most of carbon-26 of cholesterol were converted to 14C02. However, some of carbon-26 was converted to cell material. Streptomyces 14ph8 gave several variants, one of which (Streptomyces 14ph8 no. 2 var. A) could be reclassified as a Nocardia, using the same method of Gordon & Smith (1955).", }