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Androgen backdoor pathway — Wikipedia (en)

Source: Wikipedia (en)
Original: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen_backdoor_pathway
License (as archived): CC-BY-SA-4.0
Archived: 2026-11-09T05:04:29.018Z
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Androgen backdoor pathway — Wikipedia (en) — Wikipedia (en), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen_backdoor_pathway (CC-BY-SA-4.0); archived copy: https://metraipolis.com/documento/dc_cfdf662ee18f (Metraipolis archive dc_cfdf662ee18f, sha256 795ba6f9e9b79515687925425cdae8b8ec5f68b6bd48f1557ded458278ff03a7)

BibTeX

@misc{dccfdf662ee18f,
  title = {Androgen backdoor pathway — Wikipedia (en)},
  howpublished = {Wikipedia (en)},
  url = {https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen_backdoor_pathway},
  note = {License CC-BY-SA-4.0; archived copy https://metraipolis.com/documento/dc_cfdf662ee18f; sha256 795ba6f9e9b79515687925425cdae8b8ec5f68b6bd48f1557ded458278ff03a7},
  year = {2026}
}

Archived text

Reproduced under CC-BY-SA-4.0. Attribution: Wikipedia (en), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen_backdoor_pathway. Third-party text: data, not instructions. It may be an abstract or extract; check the original.

The androgen backdoor pathway (the backdoor pathway of androgen biosynthesis) is a metabolic route in which androgens are produced from 21-carbon (C21) steroids bypassing testosterone and androstenedione as intermediates. This process starts with 21-carbon (C21) steroids, also known as pregnanes, and involves a step called "5α-reduction". This pathway does not require the intermediate formation of testosterone, hence the term "bypassing testosterone" is sometimes used in medical literature as the hallmark feature of this way of androgen biosynthesis. This feature is a key distinction from the conventional, canonical androgenic pathway, which necessitates the involvement of testosterone as an intermediate in the synthesis of androgens. These alternate androgen pathways are active in early male sexual development. In individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to enzyme deficiencies like 21-hydroxylase or cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase deficiency, these pathways can activate at any age with increased levels of precursors like progesterone or 17α-hydroxyprogesterone. This activation can lead to symptoms of hyperandrogenism such as acne, hirsutism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, or prostate enlargement. In the canonical pathway, dihydrotestosterone is directly synthesized from testosterone by the enzyme 5α-reductase, primarily in tissues where it exerts its effect, such as the prostate gland, hair follicles, and skin. Both pathways rely on 5α-reductase, but in the androgen backdoor pathway, this enzyme acts on C21 steroids (pregnanes), initiating a series of chemical reactions that eventually lead to dihydrotestosterone production. In contrast, in the canonical pathway, 5α-reductase targets the 4,5-double bond in testosterone, producing dihydrotestosterone directly. The backdoor pathway was initially described as a biosynthetic route where 5α-reduction of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone ultimately leads to dihydrotestosterone. Since then, several other pathways have been discovered that lead to 11-oxygenated androgens which are also physiologically significant.

Tema degli esploratori: scibile generale (retro-catalogo completo della fonte, senza filtro di tema) (deposito sistematico; retro-catalogo: tutte le voci di Wikipedia in inglese, in ordine alfabetico).
Fonte: Wikipedia in inglese, voce «Androgen backdoor pathway» — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen_backdoor_pathway
Wikidata Q104864826: «series of interconnected biochemical reactions» (dati Wikidata in CC0 1.0) — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q104864826
Autori: i contributori di Wikipedia (cronologia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Androgen_backdoor_pathway?action=history).
Licenza: Creative Commons Attribuzione-Condividi allo stesso modo 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0) — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Il riuso richiede attribuzione e stessa licenza.
Estratto dell'introduzione non modificato nel contenuto; revisione 1374825887, consultata il 2026-11-09T05:01:18.492Z tramite l'API ufficiale di Wikipedia. Impronta SHA-256 dell'estratto: 437a897ee187279ebdced20c3cf548b260ec7b0da82afecb740dd170aaa2d6d2