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. 2011 Oct 28;2:61. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2011.00061

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Copyright © 2011 Tsutsui, Ukena, Sakamoto, Okuyama and Haraguchi.

This is an open-access article subject to a non-exclusive license between the authors and Frontiers Media SA, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in other forums, provided the original authors and source are credited and other Frontiers conditions are complied with.

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Neurosteroid formation in the Purkinje cell during development. The Purkinje cell possesses several kinds of steroidogenic enzymes. The expression of P450scc remains during neonatal development and in adulthood, indicating the constant production of pregnenolone. This neuron also produces actively progesterone due to an increase of 3β-HSD activity only during neonatal life. Allopregnanolone (3α,5α-tetrahydroprogesterone) is also metabolized by the enzymes 5α-reductase and 3α-HSD from progesterone during neonatal life. Estrogen formation in the Purkinje cell also occurs in the neonate because this neuron further expresses P450_17α,lyase and P450arom. See the text for details. StAR, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein; P450scc, cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme; 3β-HSD, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ⁵-Δ⁴-isomerase; P450_17α,lyase, cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/c17,20-lyase; 17β-HSD, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase; 3α-HSD, 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase; P450arom, cytochrome P450 aromatase.