Ontogeny and pathway of formation of 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol in the testes of the immature brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula

Abstract

The testicular androgen 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (androstanediol) mediates virilisation in pouch young of a marsupial, the tammar wallaby, and is the principal androgen formed in immature rodent testes. To chart the pattern of androstanediol formation in another marsupial species, the testes or fragments of testes from brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) that spanned the age range from early pouch young to mature adults were incubated with 3H-progesterone and the products were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The only 19-carbon steroids identified in pouch young and adult testes were the Δ 4-3-keto-steroids testosterone and androstenedione. However, androstanediol..