The organelles containing porcine 17 beta-estradiol dehydrogenase are peroxisomes.

ABSTRACT

Porcine 17 beta-estradiol dehydrogenase was recently purified and cloned. It catalyzes the NAD(+)-dependent oxidation of estradiol to estrone 360-fold more efficiently than the reverse reaction with NADPH. Immunogold electron microscopy localizes 17 beta-estradiol dehydrogenase in organelles of 120 to 500 nm with moderate electron-dense matrices bounded by single membranes. Antibodies against the peroxisomal markers catalase and acyl-CoA oxidase recognize the same organelles in double-labeling studies. This is the first report on the participation of peroxisomes in the metabolism of estradiol.