Figure 4.

Biosynthetic pathway of steroid hormones in the adrenal cortex taking cholesterol as the starting material. The gray area shows the pathway of aldosterone formation from deoxycorticosterone catalyzed by CYP11B2. Corticosterone and 18-hydroxycorticosterone are the intermediates. Reactions in the square proceed in humans and some other mammals, but not in the adrenal cortex of most rodents due to the lack of CYP17 in the adrenal cortex. zG: zona glomerulosa, zFR: zonae fasciculata-reticularis, zR: zona reticularis.