SITE OF DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULPHATE BIOSYNTHESIS IN THE ADRENAL GLAND OF THE PREVIABLE FOETUS

SUMMARY The localization of enzymes required for dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS) biosynthesis from pregnenolone in human foetal adrenal glands was investigated using a microtechnique to obtain serial tissue sections through the glands. Both zones of the adrenal glands converted pregnenolone to pregnenolone sulphate and to 17α-hydroxypregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone and their sulphates. A higher conversion to the steroid sulphates was found in the foetal compared with the adult zone tissue incubations. In two experiments, the highest conversion to DHAS occurred with tissue from the foetaladult border zone. The relative amounts of the steroids formed during incubation with whole gland homogenates were similar to those formed in the incubations of the foetal zone.